Fifth Sunday of Lent

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Sunday, 22 March 2026 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Fifth and last Sunday of Lent before the beginning of Holy Week, all of us are reminded that each and every one of us are ultimately bound for the eternal existence in perfect grace in Heaven with God, the Lord and Master over all life and death. In Him is the authority to give us life and to take, and to restore us even from death should He will it to be, according to His Divine plan and all that He has desired. This Sunday is also the beginning of the Passiontide, the more intense phase of this time of Lent which lasts all through the Holy Week right up to the moment of Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death, and finally culminating in His glorious Resurrection. Therefore, we are invited on this Sunday to spend more time reflecting on Our Lord’s Passion, reminding ourselves of everything that He had done for our sake, out of pure and unconditional Love.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, in which the Lord spoke to His people, the Israelites living in exile in the land of Babylon, to whom Ezekiel was sent to minister, the words of encouragement and reminder from their Lord and Master to keep the courage and strength within their hearts and minds, as they all had experienced lots of hardships, trials and struggles, having been forced to endure the shame of losing not only their homeland and cities, but also to see the destruction of their great and much revered Temple, the Temple and House of God which King Solomon once built for the Lord, and yet their ancestors had desecrated through their many years living in wickedness and sins, in disobedience against God.

God reassured His people that their sufferings and ordeals would be temporary and none of those hardships would be permanent. He would also remain with them, supporting and strengthening them throughout their journey, and one day, He would erase from them the shame of their exile and their homelessness, their sojourn in the distant and foreign lands. And the Lord promised that He would lead them back to the lands of their ancestors, to the land of Israel, a promise that He Himself would fulfil in due time. In the end, indeed, the Israelite exiles would be allowed to return to their homeland, to reestablish their lives there, their homes and their cities amidst the ruins of the old kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

And within this same prophecy, there was also an underlying prophecy and revelation of how God would also eventually lead all of us, His beloved people, not just the Israelites, but all of mankind, who have been forced to wander in exile in suffering in this world, in reference to what happened in the beginning of the Book of Genesis, back to Himself. Why is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? This is because just like the Israelites who have been forced to wander in exile away from their homeland by their disobedience and sins, it was also by the sins and disobedience of our ancestors that we have been sundered and separated from God. God Who created each and every one of us out of His infinite Love for us never intended for this fate to befall us, and the same God therefore wanted us all to realise that we are truly Beloved, and that He is always with us, by our side, journeying with us.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome. In that occasion we heard how St. Paul mentioned that those who walked in accordance to the flesh cannot please God, referring to how many people at that time lived in a worldly manner, refusing to follow the path of the Lord. He reminded the faithful people of God there in Rome that amidst their largely pagan and immoral surroundings, they, as Christians, as the ones whom God had called and chosen, and who have embraced God as their Lord and Saviour, ought to act, behave and live their lives as those who truly believe in God and not merely paying lip service to their faith.

This of course must not be understood as St. Paul requiring the faithful people of God to reject all sorts of worldliness and all kinds of worldly way of life. After all, each and every one of us living in our world today, in our respective communities and among our circles of family, friends and more, all of us are not required, expected or demanded to abandon our way of life in this world altogether. Rather, what St. Paul truly meant especially in the context of our world today is that, we should always be genuine in what we believe in, and practice them actively in our lives, in how we carry ourselves, in our interactions with one another, in how we love each other genuinely and sincerely just as much as we love God and ourselves.

There is indeed so many hurts, sufferings and troubles happening in this world today, and even scandals and problems facing the faithful people of God. And we may be surprised to know that it is often our fellow Catholics who caused many among us the greatest hurts and sufferings. Why is that so? That is because they are the ones we least expected to behave in the manner as they had done, and it is especially scandalising and unbecoming of our identity as Catholics that on one side, outwardly, we may appear to be pious, following the rules and commandments of the Church and the Lord, and yet, in how we treat one another, and even more so, those who are dear and closest to us, we caused hurt and sufferings instead. This is what St. Paul is warning us all about, that as Christians, we should not behave in the manner that bring scandal to our faith.

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the well-known story of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead by the Lord Jesus. In that well-known story, we heard how Lazarus, who was one of the Lord’s good friends, the brother of the sisters Mary and Martha, became very sick and was dying, and then we heard how the Lord purposefully went late and reached only after Lazarus had died from his sickness. All these happened in order that everything would come to be within God’s plan, and for God to be glorified through what His Son would do before everyone, in raising Lazarus from the dead. And in this occasion, this was where one of the occasions where we heard the Lord showed His great love for us manifested, as He wept for Lazarus.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, while the Lord knew that He has the power to raise Lazarus from the dead, seeing one of His close friends passing from sickness and all the sorrows showed by his sisters and all the mourners who were there mourning Lazarus certainly struck the Lord Who loved us all dearly. His weeping for Lazarus, the tears that He shed for Lazarus were real tears, tears that He shed out of His pure and ever enduring Love for him and for all of us. We can see here how God manifested His Love for us so wonderfully, just as He reminded us all through raising Lazarus afterwards, that He has power over life and death, how each and every one of us are precious to Him, and He wants us all to share in the everlasting Love He has for us, in how we should love all those around us, and especially so those who are dearest and most beloved to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, having been reminded of God’s ever present and patient Love for each and every one of us, His promise of new life and resurrection, and everything He had done for us, for our good and for our salvation, let us all therefore be thankful and grateful for all the opportunities, patient Love, kindness and mercy that we have been shown by the Lord. Let us all strive to do our best to emulate His examples in loving us, in being merciful and forgiving in our own attitudes, actions and way of life each day, and in every moments. Let us all be good role models, inspirations and examples for one another, and be the faithful and worthy bearers of God’s Light and truth at all times, called to be full of God’s love in all things, in how we treat others around us, those whom we have been entrusted to love, and also those strangers we encounter.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith and teach us all to love generously and patiently as He Himself had done. May He continue to guide us through this time and season of Lent as we spend this time to deepen our spirituality and relationship with God, but at the same time we must also remember to deepen our relationship with one another as well. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, and continue to accompany us lovingly as He has always done. Amen.

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Sunday, 22 March 2026 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 11 : 1-45

At that time, there was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This is the same Mary, who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick.

So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”

It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” They replied, “Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone You. Are You going there again?”

Jesus said to them, “Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, for there is no light in them.” After that Jesus said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him.”

The disciples replied, “Lord, a sick person who sleeps will recover.” But Jesus had referred to Lazarus’ death, while they thought that He had meant the repose of sleep. So Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there, for now you may believe. But let us go there, where he is.” Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, after the death of their brother, to comfort them. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”

After that Martha went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The Master is here and is calling for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she rose and went to Him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. The Jews, who were with her in the house consoling her, also came. When they saw her get up and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep.

As for Mary, when she came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, who had come with her, He was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

John 11 : 3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”

It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”

Jesus was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.

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Sunday, 22 March 2026 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Romans 8 : 8-11

So, those walking according to the flesh cannot please God. Yet your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to Him.

But Christ is within you; though the body is branded by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness. And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He Who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, He will do it through His Spirit Who dwells within you.

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Sunday, 22 March 2026 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 129 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

Out of the depths I cry to You, o Lord, o Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication.

If You should mark our evil, o Lord, who could stand? But with You is forgiveness.

For that You are revered. I waited for the Lord, my soul waits, and I put my hope in His word. My soul expects the Lord more than watchmen the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and with Him full deliverance. He will deliver Israel from all its sins.

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Sunday, 22 March 2026 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 37 : 12-14

YHVH said to Ezekiel, “So prophesy! Say to them : This is what YHVH says : I am going to open your tombs, My people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. You will know that I am YHVH, o My people! When I open your graves and bring you out of your graves.”

“When I put My Spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, YHVH, have done what I said I would do.”

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Saturday, 1 April 2023 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures, preparing us and reminding us of what we are about to celebrate in the upcoming Holy Week and Easter Triduum starting tomorrow on Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. We are about to enter into the most solemn and important moments in the story of the salvation of the whole world and all of mankind. Therefore, that is why we are reminded again and again these days of what we are about to commemorate and celebrate, in this holiest and most important moments of our whole liturgical year, and we should understand it all that we may truly benefit from the celebration and commemoration of Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering, death and resurrection. We should prepare ourselves well, physically, mentally and spiritually for these that we may grow deeper in faith and appreciation of our Christian faith.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard the reassuring words that the Lord has spoken to His people through Ezekiel, that He would give them the fullness of His grace and blessings once again. He would gather them back from their scattered places among the nations and restore them once again to glory and joy, as how it was during the days of King David and King Solomon. The Lord has promised His people Israel that He will always be faithful to them and to the Covenant that He has made with them and their ancestors, and He will never break the promises He had made even when the people had frequently disobeyed Him and disregarded the many reminders that He has given them through His messengers and prophets. God still cared for all of them and loved all of them nonetheless, and sent Ezekiel to them for the purpose of reminding them of this love.

Ezekiel was sent to the people of Israel in exile in the distant lands of Babylon, where many of them had been exiled after the destruction of their homeland in Israel, in the northern kingdom of Israel and in the southern kingdom of Judah alike. They had been bereft of their homeland, their identity and their honour, cast our from their ancestral lands and cities, forced to wander off in distant places, humiliated and crushed, all because of their sins and disobedience against God. They had abandoned and rejected Him for pagan idols and false gods, and scandalised themselves and their faith by following the ways of their neighbours instead of remaining faithful to the path that the Lord has taught and shown them, persecuting His prophets and messengers, all the servants of God that had been sent to them to remind them of their calling as God’s people.

Ezekiel reminded them of the Lord’s promise that He will establish the rule of the House of David forever, and this rejuvenates the hope in the hearts of the people who were downtrodden and in despair, because God reminded His beloved ones that His salvation will come, and everything will be good again. All of these would indeed come true in Christ, the Lord Jesus and His coming into this world. For He was born as the Son and Heir of David, becoming the great King to sit on the Throne that has remained empty for many centuries since the destruction of the kingdom of the people of God, restoring the union that God has with His people, acting as the Mediator between us and God, our Heavenly Father, the One through Whom God would renew His Covenant, into a new and everlasting Covenant, through which He shall gather all of His faithful ones to be His flock and His one people once again.

In our Gospel passage today, we are reminded then of how the Lord would do all of these which He had planned from the very beginning, as we heard how the Jewish authorities, the Jewish High Council or the Sanhedrin, headed by the chief priests led by Caiaphas, the High Priest then, plotted against the Lord Jesus. They wanted to arrest Him and accuse Him falsely of faults and crimes that would make Him a scapegoat for the Jewish people, with the excuse that what the Lord had done would eventually lead to the Romans ending whatever privileges and autonomy that they had granted the Jews back then. As we can see here, those people were mainly concerned about protecting their own privileges and status, their special grants and property, among other things, rather than to listen to reason and to the truth that God Himself had brought before their very own eyes.

As He Himself said and predicted, the Lord had to suffer grievously at the hands of His enemies and those who opposed Him, much as how His own prophets and messengers had been treated previously. He would be rejected and condemned to death, and yet, He would then become the great Cornerstone, the One through Whom the salvation of the world would come through. He would become the Source of the world’s Hope, the Light of the world and the Saviour of all. By His wounds and by His suffering, we are to be healed and strengthened and made whole once again. Through Christ’s Passion and death, by His willing and most selfless embracing of each and every one of us, all of us have received the assurance of eternal life and true joy and hope, by the most generous show of love that God Himself has made evident and tangible through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

That is what we are going to commemorate in this upcoming Holy Week and through the Easter Triduum, as we enter into this most solemn and holy occasion. Are we all ready to enter into this celebration and commemoration of the Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death, remembering everything that He had done for each and every one of us? Have we made good use of the time and the preparation that we have been expected to do during this season of Lent, so that we may draw closer to the Lord and come to better realisation of what God had done for each and every one of us? Have we done what we can so that we may help one another in our journey of faith and to help inspire each other to persevere against the challenges and trials that we have to face as faithful and devout servants and followers of God? As the Lord Jesus had said, that if we are to be His true disciples and followers, we have to pick up our crosses and follow Him. Can we do that, brothers and sisters in Christ?

Let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord and let us all do our best to walk faithfully in God’s Presence, dedicating more of our time and attention, our efforts and commitments to do the will of God and to glorify Him by our lives and actions in our respective communities. Let us all be great beacons of faith and God’s Light amidst the darkness of this world, and inspire more and more people to break free from the chains of sin. May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our journey through life, that we may ever be strong and courageous to resist the temptations to sin and disobey Him, that we may not falter like how the people of God had done in the past. May God be with us always and may He empower us all in each and every moments, and may all of us have a great and blessed Holy Week ahead. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 April 2023 : 5th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 11 : 45-56

At that time, many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Council.

They said, “What are we to do? For this Man keeps on giving miraculous signs. If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and destroy our Holy Place and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all, nor do you see clearly what you need. It is better to have one Man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed.” In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold like a prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day on, they were determined to kill Him.

Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness, and stayed with His disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the Temple, they talked with one another, “What do you think? Will He come to the festival?”

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Saturday, 1 April 2023 : 5th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Saturday, 1 April 2023 : 5th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 37 : 21-28

You will then say to them : Thus says YHVH : I am about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. I shall make them into one people on the mountains of Israel and one king is to be the king of them all.

They will no longer form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, nor will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable practices and their sins. I shall free them from the guilt of their treachery; I shall cleanse them and they will be for Me a people and I shall be God for them.

My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all. They will live according to My laws and follow and practice My decrees. They will settle in the land I gave to My servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There they will live forever, their children and their children’s children. David My servant will be their prince forever.

I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I shall settle them and they will increase and I shall put My sanctuary in their midst forever. I shall make My home at their side; I shall be their God and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I am YHVH Who makes Israel holy, having My sanctuary among them forever.

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Friday, 31 March 2023 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come ever closer to the end of the season of Lent and the coming of Holy Week, through the Scripture readings we have received, all of us are reminded ever more each day of the need for all of us to turn towards the Lord and place our trust in Him, so that we return to Him and being faithful once again, resisting the temptations of worldly desires and attachments, and embracing wholeheartedly the Lord Who has always provided us with whatever we need and with all the protection and guidance along our path and journey. Each and every one of us are reminded of the hope we have in God that will be our path towards salvation, amidst a world filled with darkness and evil, trials and challenges, hardships and difficulties. As long as we keep our focus in the Lord and trust in Him, our path forward is clear.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the persecutions and hardships that the prophet Jeremiah faced were highlighted and detailed to us. Jeremiah was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, to minister to them and to pass to the people the words of the Lord during the last years of that kingdom’s existence. He had to bear the hard work of telling those rebellious and hard-hearted people to repent from their sins and to warn them of the impending disasters and sufferings that they would have to endure because of their continued sins and wickedness. Jeremiah often spoke of the upcoming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, and hence was often ostracised, hated and persecuted although he was really telling the truth. There were many false prophets and false guides who tried to spread their falsehoods and steer the people to their own agenda, who were also likely the same ones that plotted against Jeremiah.

They made the people to resent Jeremiah for his usual tirades and speeches, which kept on calling out the people for their sins and wickedness, while those same false prophets used sweet words and lies to mollify and persuade the people of God to continue in their sinful way of life. They sought worldly glory and satisfaction, and chose to mislead the people for their own advantages and benefits. Those who were faithful like Jeremiah were persecuted and oppressed instead, but God never forgot about all those who faithfully believed in Him and trusted in Him. He cared for all of them and provided for them, guided and strengthened them with His Spirit and strength. Although they had to suffer for being God’s true disciples and followers, but He kept reassuring them of His ever present love and grace, and that He was with them through all those difficult moments and times.

That was what the Lord Himself has experienced as we heard ourselves in our Gospel passage today, detailing the moment when the Lord Jesus was confronted with resistance and opposition from many of the Jewish people living in Jerusalem. Back then, those Jewish people were those who followed the precepts and laws of the Lord as passed down to them from Moses and their ancestors most rigorously and devotedly, particularly the Jewish elites of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the chief priests and the scribes. Many among those people often criticised and opposed the Lord and His works as they saw what He taught and did as in opposition to their own interpretation and understanding of the Law and the ways of observing the commandments of God. They hardened their hearts and minds against Him such that although the Lord had taught and revealed the truth with such clarity and Wisdom, they still refused to believe.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s reflection, many of the Jews still could accept the fact that this upstart, the Son of a mere carpenter originating from the remote village of Nazareth in Galilee, which itself was at the periphery of the Jewish world then, could be the Holy One, the Messiah and Saviour that God had promised them, despite all the signs and wonders they themselves had witnessed pointing towards such a conclusion. That was why they rejected the Lord and persecuted Him, made His life, work and ministry to be very difficult, and the Lord had to hide Himself from their anger, as not a few amongst those people wanted Him dead and destroyed. Then, we heard how the Lord retreated to the wilderness, and it was there that many of those who were more open-minded and willing to listen to God’s truth and words, came to the Lord in droves.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard it earlier on, we can see how persecution, hardships and challenges are often part and parcel of our lives and ministry as Christians, in whichever manner and area that we are moving in, and in whichever era and time, just as our many holy predecessors and ancestors can easily testify, by their own lives and also sufferings. Not few suffered grievously for their faith, and many even suffered martyrdom, most painful death and trials in their journey of faith. Yet, many if not most of them endured all of those sufferings with faith and trust in the Lord, committing themselves ever more to the Lord, and persevering with patience and grace, following the examples of their own predecessors, and not least, the Lord Jesus Himself, Who has also been cast out, rejected and persecuted, and condemned to die a most humiliating and painful death on the Cross.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we draw ever closer to the Holy Week and the momentous events of Easter Triduum, let us all deepen our understanding of all those events and everything that the Lord Himself had done for us and on our behalf. Let us all remind ourselves of the great and ever enduring love that God has shown each and every one of us, that He gave us His own beloved Son, the Divine Word and Son of God Incarnate, that we may see and reach out to His love, made tangible by the Incarnation of Christ in the flesh, and that by uniting His humanity to our own humanity, He might deliver us all from the certainty of damnation and destruction due to our many sins and wickedness, by showing us the example of perfect obedience and faith, and by bearing upon His own shoulders, all the burdens and punishments that should have been ours. He chose to be punished Himself, that through Him we may gain forgiveness and grace, and find the path to eternal life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect carefully on our way of life and actions, especially as we continue to progress through this Lenten season and as we are about to begin Holy Week this Sunday. Let us all spend some time with the Lord, to reconnect ourselves to Him and grow ever more in love with Him. Let us all dedicate ourselves to the Lord with renewed zeal and love for Him, and let us all draw ever closer to Him, with each and every moments we have. May the Lord continue to bless and guide us in our journey of faith and life, and help us to lead a life that is truly holy, exemplary and worthy of Him. May all of us have a blessed upcoming Holy Week and Easter Triduum, and be ever prepared to welcome the Lord into our hearts. Amen.