One Man should Die for All

 Reflection for Saturday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 37:21-28; Jn 11:45-57)

Today we round up the 5^th week of Lent. In our readings this week, there was heated debate between Jesus and the Jews about His origin and identity. They refused to accept His divine origin and His identity as the Messiah. But Jesus would never compromise nor deny His Origin or identity. So they accused Him of blasphemy and made several efforts to arrest or kill Him but they did not succeed because His hour had not yet come. By next week He will freely surrender Himself.

Today, we hear how the council of the chief priests and Pharisees had their final meeting to strategize on how to kill Jesus. It was an emergency meeting, which was prompted by the most outstanding miracle of Jesus: the raising of Lazarus! What ought to be a good news or a reason to convince them, became the very reason they must silence Him. The meeting was chaired by Caiaphas. The agenda for the day was summarized: “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place our nation.” Everything was done in a hurry; there was an urgency to do away with Him. Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the Lord and against His anointed...(Ps 2:2).

 

“You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” The Chief Priest was prophetic in his utterance though his intention was malicious. For the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading announced that God will gather His people as one under one king, and remove all their defilement. “But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” According to the prophet, this promise of restoration will be founded on an everlasting covenant of peace with the people...So as the leaders hurriedly conspire against the Lord, God was using them to quickly fulfill His plan of salvation. Upon Christ Jesus will lie the burden of gathering the Children of God.

The Children of God thus saved, must abide in Christ Jesus with such urgency as the elders concluded in their meeting today. “They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? That He will not come to the feast?’” At a time like this, it is expedient that we look for Him. In Him lies the restoration we yearn for. The promises given through the prophet Ezekiel today shall be ours if we pray and imitate Jesus in our lives. Next week, we shall enter in to the solemn celebration of the realization of our salvation in Christ Jesus.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Saturday 4^th April, 2020.

My birthday!!!

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your flesh. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me drift away from you. Amen.

----St Alphonsus Liguori