Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, enlighten the eyes of my heart, to see you for who you truly are: the Son of Man, the Savior of the world. Give me the strength to be able to cling to you. Lord, give me the courage to proclaim you even in the face of persecution.
Encountering Christ:
- Do We Know Where He Is From?: The inhabitants of Jerusalem—the ordinary people—saw Jesus preaching openly, and it confused them. “Is he not the one they are trying to kill?” they asked. “Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?” they wondered. They thought they knew where Jesus was from. They were curious but rudderless, looking for guidance from their leaders about Jesus. Jesus cried out, “You know me and you also know where I am from.” Was he appealing to the simple and pure of heart in the crowd? Asking them to attend to the movements of the Spirit in their hearts as they heard him preach? Inviting them to believe that the Father sent him? Jesus extends the same invitation to us. He asks us to cut through the noise and moral confusion of the culture and really tune into his words by reading and meditating on the Scriptures. This allows the Spirit to imbue us with understanding and a holy desire to draw ever closer to the Father.
- Fearless Proclamation: At the beginning of the Gospel passage, Jesus didn’t go to Judea because he knew the Jews were hunting him there, that they wanted him dead. However, he ended up going. Why? Fulfilling the Father’s will was infinitely more important to him than potential persecution by men. He foresaw the Cross, but he was secure in the knowledge of his Father’s love for him, and this love led him to love in return by proclaiming the Good News to all in Jerusalem. Let us ask the Lord for a deeper knowledge and assurance of his love, that we too may be able to go out and boldly share his love with others.
- “His Hour Had Not Yet Come”: The primary objective of St. John’s Gospel was to illuminate Our Lord’s divinity. John wrote that when the Jews tried to arrest Jesus they couldn’t. Why? Because Jesus was in complete control. He knew his hour and would surrender his life according to the divine timetable—not one minute sooner. As children of God, we can draw great consolation from the divine traits of our Redeemer. He guides us with his incomparable wisdom, heals us by his compassion, rescues us by his might, and loves us with his limitless capacity of divine charity.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, please cut through the confusion in my mind and bless me with a renewed understanding of your divine power and might.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will spend an extra moment reflecting deeply on my favorite passage from the Gospel.
Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.
