Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent (2)

Title

True and False Purity

Outline

When God speaks, listen carefully

I often find when checking the claims of those critical of Magisterial Catholicism, whether those on the progressive fringe or those on the traditionalist fringe that they have not read carefully or quoted accurately those whom they criticize.

Of course, that changes a criticism into calumny or slander

And those are mortal sins unrecognized by such folk when they commit them

They are convinced that they are in the right and the crisis in the church is in those others, that God is on their side

Look what happened to Ezekiel’s prophecy

The Lord says: (1) I will gather them, (2) I will give them one king rather than two, (3) they shall no longer defile themselves, (4) “I will cleanse them so that they will be my people, and I will be their God,” (5) David will be king over them, (6) I will put my sanctuary in their midst, and (7) they will always live on the land. The result is: “Then the nations shall know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy, by putting my sanctuary among them forever.”

Well, gather God did starting about 536 BC. And they were in fact mostly monotheistic (Ezra - Nehemiah point out some issues). The sanctuary was there in Jerusalem, but we never hear of an experience of God’s presence there - he was assumed to be there. And they were divided into factions and engaged in politics as usual. Various groups defined holiness in various ways and much of the people just tried to get by.

When David arrived those who felt threatened by him managed to do away with him.

Roughly 40 years later half the population was killed or enslaved and much of the rest scattered.

They had not read the document carefully nor cross-referenced it with the definitions of holiness in the Pentateuch.

So what happens to Jesus

Jesus had worked a great sign in raising Lazarus, in John the capstone of his signs.

The chief priests (Sadducees) and Pharisees hear of it and feel threatened. They know that the common folk are following Jesus in significant numbers, and the only type of Davidic Son they can imagine would be one who would stir up war against the Romans, causing a disaster, just like what did happen in AD 66 - 70.

So Caiaphas concludes, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” In other words, we need to kill him to prevent the loss of our nation.

The Gospel writer reads this as an unaware (sort of an ex opere operato event) prophecy due to his high priestly office: rather than destroy the nation Jesus would die for it and rather than the Romans destroying the nation they and other gentiles would join it. That, of course, is also precisely what happened, as John puts it, “to gather into one the dispersed children of God.”

Jesus does not argue with them or try to set them straight - he knows that they have made up their minds and that this evil will work God’s will. So he withdraws.

We are left with the scene of people arriving to purify themselves before Passover and wondering if Jesus would be a good Jew and come.

What do we see here sisters?

First, read the full text and context of any teaching or prophecy or the like before latching onto it as a positive word for the Church or for this or that nation. It will keep you out of a lot of trouble, for it is in quiet reflection that we hear the voice of God within.

Second, listen closely to the critics: it is possible that while enacting evil they may speak God’s truth.

Finally, rest secure. The return of Jews to Palestine in 536 did lead to the coming of David’s Son, just not in a way that anyone expected him to come. The plots of the Jewish leaders in AD 30 did lead to the salvation of the nation and the inclusion of the Gentiles into one people, a reflection of Ezekiel as well as John, but not in the way imagined. And it also led to what Caiaphas feared, but due to Pharisaic leadership not due to followers of Jesus, who fled the city.

God’s will will be done. His promises are secure. But read them whole and expect the fulfillment to be a surprise. Yet those who have spent time in silence with God will recognize it when it comes.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 4-9-2022: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 37:21–28

21 Say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: I will soon take the Israelites from among the nations to which they have gone and gather them from all around to bring them back to their land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one king for them all. They shall never again be two nations, never again be divided into two kingdoms.

23 No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their apostasy through which they sinned. I will cleanse them so that they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 David my servant shall be king over them; they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my ordinances, observe my statutes, and keep them. 25 They shall live on the land I gave to Jacob my servant, the land where their ancestors lived; they shall live on it always, they, their children, and their children’s children, with David my servant as their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will multiply them and put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations shall know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy, by putting my sanctuary among them forever.

Catholic Daily Readings 4-9-2022: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

RESPONSE

Jeremiah 31:10d

10 Hear the word of the LORD, you nations,

proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:

The One who scattered Israel, now gathers them;

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

PSALM

Jeremiah 31:10–13

10 Hear the word of the LORD, you nations,

proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:

The One who scattered Israel, now gathers them;

he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

11 The LORD shall ransom Jacob,

he shall redeem him from a hand too strong for him.

12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,

they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:

The grain, the wine, and the oil,

flocks of sheep and cattle;

They themselves shall be like watered gardens,

never again neglected.

13 Then young women shall make merry and dance,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

I will show them compassion and have them rejoice after their sorrows.

Catholic Daily Readings 4-9-2022: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Ezekiel 18:31

31 Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

GOSPEL

John 11:45–56

45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.

54 So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. 56 They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 4-9-2022: Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2022 | LENT

SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Ezekiel 37:21–28

Response Jeremiah 31:10d

Psalm Jeremiah 31:10–13

Gospel Acclamation Ezekiel 18:31

Gospel John 11:45–56

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