The Gospel Saint John Chapter 11 Verses 1 to 45 - Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life - March 29th of 2020 the FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

"1.Now there was a certain sick man, Lazarus of Bethania, from the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2.And Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was sick. 3.Therefore, his sisters sent to him, saying: “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” 4.Then, upon hearing this, Jesus §said to them: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5.Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. 6.Even so, after he heard that he was sick, he then still remained in the same place for two days. 7.Then, after these things, he said to his disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” 8.The disciples said to him: “Rabbi, the Jews are even now seeking to stone you. And would you go there again?” 9.Jesus responded: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the daylight, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10.But if he walks in the nighttime, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11.He said these things, and after this, he said to them: “Lazarus our friend is sleeping. But I am going, so that I may awaken him from sleep.” ...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OUXyvljKnnN9hXlTWfFw67zYJf50uk0_wey5S_VTsgw

The Division among the People and The Unbelief of Those in Authority - with Highlights

The Gospel of March 28th of 2020 according to Saint John Chapter 7 Verses 40 to 53 - Lenten Weekday

"40.Therefore, some from that crowd, when they had heard these words of his, were saying, “This one truly is the Prophet.” 41.Others were saying, “He is the Christ.” Yet certain ones were saying: “Does the Christ come from Galilee? 42.Does Scripture not say that the Christ comes from the offspring of David and from Bethlehem, the town where David was?” 43.And so there arose a dissension among the multitude because of him. 44.Now certain ones among them wanted to apprehended him, but no one laid hands upon him. 45.Therefore, the attendants went to the high priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them, “Why have you not brought him?” 46.The attendants responded, “Never has a man spoken like this man.” 47.And so the Pharisees answered them: “Have you also been seduced? 48.Have any of the leaders believed in him, or any of the Pharisees? 49.But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.” 50.Nicodemus, the one who came to him by night and who was one of them, said to them, 51.“Does our law judge a man, unless it has first heard him and has known what he has done?” 52.They responded and said to him: “Are you also a Galilean? Study the Scriptures, and see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee.” 53.And each one returned to his own house."

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

This passage is straightforward about the division of the people. The Jews were divided between the ones who believed in Jesus Christ, in his teachings, in his act, and in his divine mission. And the other that considered him a blasphemer or something else than him as the Son of God.

The Old Testament had taught that the new Messiah would come from Bethlehem. And most of the people did not know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And Bethlehem Was the city of King David. Also, Christ was a descendant of David. The Old Scriptures had predicted all of these.

The holiness of Christ, by this point, was a public fact, the public debate about it was established and the powerful needed to deal with it. Even among the strong ones, there were some who believed in Jesus, like Nicodemus, who helped the Son of God.

God Bless Us

Sources

Catholic Public Domain Version

The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press

La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française

Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus

Is This the Christ

The Gospel according to Saint John Chapter 7 Verses 1-2, 10 and 25 to 30 - Lenten Weekday. Day of abstinence from meat - March 27th of 2020

Is This the Christ

"1.Then, after these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee. For he was not willing to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2.Now the feast day of the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles, was near.

10.But after his brothers went up, then he also went up to the feast day, not openly, but as if in secret.

25.Therefore, some of those from Jerusalem said: “Is he not the one whom they are seeking to kill? 26.And behold, he is speaking openly, and they say nothing to him. Could the leaders have decided that it is true this one is the Christ? 27.But we know him and where he is from. And when the Christ has arrived, no one will know where he is from.” 28.Therefore, Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: “You know me, and you also know where I am from. And I have not arrived of myself, but he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29.I know him. For I am from him, and he has sent me.” 30.Therefore, they were seeking to apprehend him, and yet no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come."

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

Jesus completed the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the promised Messiah.

But the people of the crowd were not open-eyed to his divine mission. They didn’t understand the deep of his acts and teachings.

For some, he was the Messiah, for other a prophet, or for other ones a blasphemer.

The place of birth of Jesus may be one of the causes of this mixture perception. The Son of God was born in Bethlehem, the same city where King David was born and the city where the new king of Israel would come from.

But Jesus grew up in Nazareth, not in Bethlehem. So, many thought that he was from Nazareth, not the city of King David.

It is nice to see that some Jews already believed in Jesus Holiness at that time.

God Bless Us

Sources

Catholic Public Domain Version

The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press

La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française

Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus

The Testimony to Jesus

The Gospel according to Saint John Chapter 5 Verses 31 to 47 - Lenten Weekday - March 26th of 2020

The Testimony to Jesus

"31.If I offer testimony about myself, my testimony is not true. 32.There is another who offers testimony about me, and I know that the testimony which he offers about me is true. 33.You sent to John, and he offered testimony to the truth. 34.But I do not accept testimony from man. Instead, I say these things, so that you may be saved. 35.He was a burning and shining light. So you were willing, at the time, to exult in his light. 36.But I hold a greater testimony than that of John. For the works which the Father has given to me, so that I may complete them, these works themselves that I do, offer testimony about me: that the Father has sent me. 37.And the Father who has sent me has himself offered testimony about me. And you have never heard his voice, nor have you beheld his appearance. 38.And you do not have his word abiding in you. For the one whom he sent, the same you would not believe. 39.Study the Scriptures. For you think that in them you have eternal life. And yet they also offer testimony about me. 40.And you are not willing to come to me, so that you may have life. 41.I do not accept glory from men. 42.But I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you. 43.I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not accept me. If another will arrive in his own name, him you will accept. 44.How are you able to believe, you who accept glory from one another and yet do not seek the glory that is from God alone? 45.Do not consider that I might accuse you with the Father. There is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you hope. 46.For if you were believing in Moses, perhaps you would believe in me also. For he wrote about me. 47.But if you do not believe by his writings, how will you believe by my words?”"

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

Jesus Christ was questioned by some teachers of the Laws of the Old Testament, and the Son of God responded with rabbinical arguments.

He was accused of violating the Sabbath rest rule. He defended himself, arguing that he did not offend the sabbath rest. This law was not violated when you are serving God or your neighbor.

Under the Law of Moses, just one testimony was not enough to prove something; it was necessary two or more testimonies to your side be accepted by a judge.

So, Jesus presented three proofs:

His acts,

John Baptist’s testimonial,

and The scriptures that were announcing what Jesus was doing.

With these three proofs, like said before, Jesus answered to his accusers of violating the sabbath with rabbinical arguments.

God Bless Us

Sources

Catholic Public Domain Version

The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press

La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française

Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus

“The Birth of Jesus Foretold”

The Gospel of March 25th of 2020 according to Saint Luke Chapter 1 Verses 26 to 38 - ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD S

"28.And upon entering, the Angel said to her: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 29.And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be. 30.And the Angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. 31.Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS. 32.He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity. 33.And his kingdom shall have no end.” 34.Then Mary said to the Angel, “How shall this be done, since I do not know man?” 35.And in response, the Angel said to her: “The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. 36.And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren. 37.For no word will be impossible with God.” 38.Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” And the Angel departed from her."

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

In this passage, among other teachings, we can have a special look to Mary's role in the work of God in giving us our Savior.

In parallel to the divine work in the immaculate conception, we can see the free consent of Mary. We see her choice when she says, "Let it be done". Mary had the will to become the Mother of Jesus. She turned the salvation for herself and for all humanity.

In The Annunciation, Angel Gabriel praises her condition of being full of grace, she is the perfect body, without the Original Sin. The Son of God was conceived as a human being throughout the labor of the Holy Spirit.

The Annunciation is the initial of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. The other Mysteries are The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Presentation of our Lord, and The finding of Jesus in the Temple.

God Bless Us

Sources

Catholic Public Domain Version

The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press

La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française

Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus

The Gospel Saint John Chapter 5 Verses1 to 16 with Highlights - March 24th of 2020 Lenten Weekday

"1.After these things, there was a feast day of the Jews, and so Jesus ascended to Jerusalem. 2.Now at Jerusalem is the Pool of Evidence, which in Hebrew is known as the Place of Mercy; it has five porticos. 3.Along these lay a great multitude of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the withered, waiting for the movement of the water. 4.Now at times an Angel of the Lord would descend into the pool, and so the water was moved. And whoever descended first into the pool, after the motion of the water, he was healed of whatever infirmity held him. 5.And there was a certain man in that place, having been in his infirmity for thirty-eight years. 6.Then, when Jesus had seen him reclining, and when he realized that he had been afflicted for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7.The invalid answered him: “Lord, I do not have any man to put me in the pool, when the water has been stirred. For as I am going, another descends ahead of me.” 8.Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your stretcher, and walk.” 9.And immediately the man was healed. And he took up his stretcher and walked. Now this day was the Sabbath. 10.Therefore, the Jews said to the one who had been healed: “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to take up your stretcher.” 11.He answered them, “The one who healed me, he said to me, ‘Take up your stretcher and walk.’ ” 12.Therefore, they questioned him, “Who is that man, who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk?’ ” 13.But the one who had been given health did not know who it was. For Jesus had turned aside from the crowd gathered in that place. 14.Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple, and he said to him: “Behold, you have been healed. Do not choose to sin further, otherwise something worse may happen to you.” 15.This man went away, and he reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had given him health."

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

We can learn that Christ is above the Sabbath. The life of everyone is above the laws for Jesus when he heals someone in the Sabbath.

Our lord offered healing without being asked for. But Jesus told the healed: do not choose sin.

This passage shows us Jesus acting with the authority of God, the power over illness, and sin.

Just some Jews did not see Jesus as God made man and consider him just a blasphemer. We have to remember that not all Jews, not all Pharisees, were against the divinity of Christ, the Jews as a whole are not sinners. They were like every human, imperfect, fallible.

Paragraph 1505 of Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that:

"(Christ) healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing: the victory over sin and death through his Passover. On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the "sin of the world,". of which illness is only a consequence. By his Passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion."

God Bless Us

The Gospel of March 23th of 2020 according to Saint John Chapter 4 Verses 43 to 54 - Lenten Weekday -

"43.Then, after two days, he departed from there, and he traveled into Galilee. 44.For Jesus himself offered testimony that a Prophet has no honor in his own country. 45.And so, when he had arrived in Galilee, the Galileans received him, because they had seen all that he had done at Jerusalem, in the day of the feast. For they also went to the feast day. 46.Then he went again into Cana of Galilee, where he made water into wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47.Since he had heard that Jesus came to Galilee from Judea, he sent to him and begged him to come down and heal his son. For he was beginning to die. 48.Therefore, Jesus said to him, “Unless you have seen signs and wonders, you do not believe.” 49.The ruler said to him, “Lord, come down before my son dies.” 50.Jesus said to him, “Go, your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and so he went away. 51.Then, as he was going down, his servants met him. And they reported to him, saying that his son was alive. 52.Therefore, he asked them at which hour he had become better. And they said to him, “Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” 53.Then the father realized that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And both he and his entire household believed. 54.This next sign was the second that Jesus accomplished, after he had arrived in Galilee from Judea."

The Holy Gospel

Highlights

The Gospel of today tells us about believing in the Word of Christ.

Everyone can believe, the ruler was a pagan officer with faith in the holy Word only. He did not have to see the cure of his son to trust in the holiness of the Son of God. The Word was more than enough.

The sick son also is a sign of the power of the resurrection of Jesus.

Christ prays for us, and we should believe in him,

St. Augustine teaches three dimensions of his prayer: "He prays for us as our priest, prays in us as our Head, and is prayed to by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in him and his in us.

God Bless Us

Today is The Gospel of March 22nd of 2020 according to Saint John Chapter 9 Verses1 to 41 - FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT.
And the highlights about this passage.

"1.And Jesus, while passing by, saw a man blind from birth. 2.And his disciples asked him,

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

3.Jesus responded:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God would be made manifest in him. 4.I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day: the night is coming, when no one is able to work. 5.As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6.When he had said these things, he spat on the ground, and he made clay from the spittle, and he smeared the clay over his eyes. 7.And he said to him:

“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”

(which is translated as: one who has been sent). Therefore, he went away and washed, and he returned, seeing. 8.And so the bystanders and those who had seen him before, when he was a beggar, said,

“Is this not the one who was sitting and begging?”
Some said, “This is he.”
9.But others said, “Certainly not, but he is similar to him.”
Yet truly, he himself said, “I am he.”
10.Therefore, they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11.He responded: “That man who is called Jesus made clay, and he anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ And I went, and I washed, and I see.”

12.And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I do not know.”
13.They brought the one who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14.Now it was the Sabbath, when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15.Therefore, again the Pharisees questioned him as to how he had seen.

And he said to them, “He placed clay over my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
16.And so certain Pharisees said: “This man, who does not keep the Sabbath, is not from God.”
But others said, “How could a sinful man accomplish these signs?”
And there was a schism among them. 17.Therefore, they spoke again to the blind man,
“What do you say about him who opened your eyes?”
Then he said, “He is a Prophet.”

18.Therefore, the Jews did not believe, about him, that he had been blind and had seen, until they called the parents of him who had seen. 19.And they questioned them, saying:
“Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? Then how is it that he now sees?”

20.His parents responded to them and said:
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21.But how it is that he now sees, we do not know. And who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough. Let him speak for himself.”

22.His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already conspired, so that if anyone were to confess him to be the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue.
23.It was for this reason that his parents said: “He is old enough. Ask him.”

24.Therefore, they again called the man who had been blind, and they said to him:
“Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”
25.And so he said to them: “If he is a sinner, I do not know it. One thing I do know, that although I was blind, now I see.”
26.Then they said to him: “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27.He answered them: “I have already told you, and you heard it. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
28.Therefore, they cursed him and said: “You be his disciple. But we are disciples of Moses. 29.We know that God spoke to Moses. But this man, we do not know where he is from.”

30.The man responded and said to them:
“Now in this is a wonder: that you do not know where he is from, and yet he has opened my eyes....

The Gospel of March 21th of 2020 according to Saint Luke Chapter 18 Verses9 to 14 - Lenten Weekday

"9.Now about certain persons who consider themselves to be just, while disdaining others, he told also this parable: 10.“Two men ascended to the temple, in order to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11.Standing, the Pharisee prayed within himself in this way: ‘O God, I give thanks to you that I am not like the rest of men: robbers, unjust, adulterers, even as this tax collector chooses to be. 12.I fast twice between Sabbaths. I give tithes from all that I possess.’ 13.And the tax collector, standing at a distance, was not willing to even lift up his eyes to heaven. But he struck his chest, saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ 14.I say to you, this one descended to his house justified, but not the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”"

The Holy Gospel

Highlights
It is interesting to underline two points in this passage:

First: Humility, contrition, and repentance are the way we must go in our lives to seek salvation.
And second: atax collector is mentioned because it was a job offered by the Roman Empire to Jews to collect money from the Jews. A tax collector is like a traitor.

God Bless Us


Sources
Catholic Public Domain Version
The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press
La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française
Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus


2020 March 21 Sat: Lenten Weekday LK 18: 9-14

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The Gospel of March 19th of 2020 according to Saint Matthew Chapter 1 Verses16 and 18 to 21 and 24 - JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY S

16.And Jacob conceived Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

18.Now the procreation of the Christ occurred in this way. After his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to have conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit.

19.Then Joseph, her husband, since he was just and was not willing to hand her over, preferred to send her away secretly.

20.But while thinking over these things, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife. For what has been formed in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21.And she shall give birth to a son. And you shall call his name JESUS. For he shall accomplish the salvation of his people from their sins.”

24.Then Joseph, arising from sleep, did just as the Angel of the Lord had instructed him, and he accepted her as his wife.

The Holy Gospel

Highlights
The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled with the conception of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.
The name Jesus was chosen by God and this name proclaims, enunciates his divine burden “save his people from their sins.”

God Bless Us


Sources
Catholic Public Domain Version
The didache Bible, Ignatius Bible Edition, 2015, Ignatius Press
La Bible Expliquée, 2004, Société Biblique française
Bíblia Sagrada, Edição Pastoral, 2007, Editora Paulus


2020 March 19 Thu: JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY S Mt 1: 16. 18-21. 24a or Lk 2: 41-51a

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