A Daily Lent

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Daily Reading : John 11:45 – 56 Focus Passage : Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. (Jn. 11:49 – 53) This passage follows Jesus raising Lazarus from death. The dialogue and deliberations you read here are brought about by Jesus stretching his hand of life into Lazarus’ tomb, a precursor to his own death, burial, and Resurrection. The first half of John’s Gospel is given to the breadth of Jesus’ ministry. The second half of his Gospel is devoted to the last week of Jesus’ life...

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Daily Reading : Mark 8:1 – 10 Focus Passage : During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" (Mk. 8:1 – 4) This Jesus-story holds significant meaning beneath the surface of the narrative. As a Gospel (Good News) story, it speaks of persons who are hungry and have nothing to eat. At the level of spiritual truth, it describes a soul-hunger. In spiritual stories, physical hunger is often a symbol for spiritual yearning; therefore, we are offered a different kind of food by Jesus in this story. Our human condition is characterized by ...