4th WEDNESDAY OF LENT - Gospel (John 5:17-30) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
FIRST READING - Is 49:8-15
"I form you and set you as a covenant for the people, to restore the land."
A reading from the Book of Isaiah
8 Thus says the Lord:In a time of favor I answer you,[a]
on the day of salvation I help you;
I form you and set you as a covenant for the people,
To restore the land
and allot the devastated heritages,
9 To say to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the roadways they shall find pasture,
on every barren height shall their pastures be.
10 They shall not hunger or thirst;
nor shall scorching wind or sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
and guides them beside springs of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roadway,
and make my highways level.
12 See, these shall come from afar:
some from the north and the west,
others from the land of Syene.[b]
13 Sing out, heavens, and rejoice, earth,
break forth into song, you mountains,For the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 5:17-30
"Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life o also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes."
✠From the Gospel according to John
17 [a]But Jesus answered them, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
19 [b]Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. 20 For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,[c] so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment[d] to his Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 [e]Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
4th WEDNESDAY OF LENT - Gospel (John 5:17-30)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today's Word of God, God makes known to all humanity the eternal resurrection in the Kingdom of Heaven, which has an intimate connection between life and death, and between God the Father and humankind.
Among all of humanity, God alone is the only One who brings eternal life to humankind. He is the only One who brings love, life, or death.
God is the master of all things, all beings, and all creatures, whether it be the source of human life existing in this world, or the source of the soul’s life after departing from the body. God alone is the One who can grant these to humanity.
Apart from Him, there is no other god who can give eternal life, bring about death, or provide the source of life to humanity in this world, except for God.
When God lets humans live, then humans live. When God appointed that humans must die, then humans die.
Whether under the mighty hand of God or under the captivity of Satan, who is the master of life and death? Truly, it is God alone!
Satan, human life, and every creature in this world all indeed belong to God. That is what humanity must absolutely believe. Only God alone could create the world, the universe, the heavens, the earth, and all things and all creatures.
No one has the authority to interfere in changing the world or alter the order of the universe, if the power of God the Father does not permit it nor allow it to happen.
Humanity’s life, deaths, and sufferings are also held under God’s Sovereign hands. He sees everything!
Whomever He grants life in this world and in this universe lives according to His divine decree. Love, life, and death are always in the presence of God, under His guidance and governance. We must glorify Him and orient ourselves toward Him. For only in Him can eternal life be brought to mankind.
Therefore, today's Word of God presents the debate between Jesus and the Jews regarding the authority, power, and the grace of giving life to humanity, which is manifested through God the Father.
Jesus' reasoning with the Jews lets people of both the past and the present know that only God can bring eternal life to humans!
Only God is the One who directs all things throughout this entire world and universe.
If He decrees that something shall not happen, then nothing whatsoever can take place.
Yet, if He permits things to occur within His Divine Providence and guidance, then they are allowed to happen.
Even if evil occurs in this world, all things remain under God's control.
All of God's children existing in this world should place their hope, faith, and trust in God’s power.
Through listening to today’s Word of God, Jesus lets us know that anyone who places their trust, hope, and entrusts themselves to God—believing absolutely that God alone is the master of the universe, God alone is the Creator of heaven and earth and all creatures and living things, and only God can bring eternal life to humanity will be saved, but on the condition that we must absolutely believe in His Word as taught in the Old and New Testaments.
And today, God further grants the working of the Holy Spirit upon the REAL PRESENT WORD OF GOD to provide direct teachings to humanity.
Those who place their absolute trust in God, believing that He alone can bring life, peace, and happiness to humanity, should come to Him, remain in Him, listen to Him, revere Him, obey Him, and carry out all that He teaches in the Holy Scriptures and the Real Presence Word of God, for they will always have a life of peace and happiness in this life and the next.
Let us place our absolute trust in the teaching of Jesus Christ through today's Word of God: Whoever believes in God the Father will have eternal life and will not face judgment, and will pass from death into life.
Those who believe absolutely in the death and resurrection through which the Son of God came into the world to become human to redeem humanity, will receive eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God. Amen
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