Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10, 31-42
The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
The Jews answered him,
“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God.”
Jesus answered them,
“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.
He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
“John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true.”
And many there began to believe in him.
The Stoning
1. Show. When someone helps us recognise truths about ourselves or brings situations to light that make us aware of our faults, our reactions can vary—from acceptance to intense anger. Such anger often stems from a feeling of helplessness, or from a reluctance to face realities we’d rather ignore. On our journey, it’s important to discern those who help us see things in a positive light from those who criticise harshly. Today, embrace self-awareness and appreciate those present in your life, but don’t stone those who genuinely wish to offer you their best.
2. Becoming. We all have something divine within us, and we must learn that we possess dignity by nature. Life is a continual journey in pursuit of truth, but along the way you must accept there are things you must change. Therefore, never stop seeking the divine within you, and remember that no one should humiliate you for your human failings without also acknowledging that same dignity within you.
3. Escape. On this journey of your life, it’s important to be astute and wise to realize that there are people you must avoid, because they can be destructive rather than supportive. Never stop seeking your own space and time, but above all, seek that place that gives you peace and calm. Take time to prepare your heart for the upcoming Holy Week.
Today let’s entrust our lives to Mary, since in many places the memorial of Mary at the Cross is celebrated because next Friday is Good Friday and there is no Mass. Let’s remember that when everything seems dead and fallen, she is there. Both the devotion of Mary witnessing Jesus’s death and the gift of Mary as mother to us are truths we cannot live without.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
