Daily Readings - Sat Mar 24 2018

First Reading - Ezekiel 37.21-28

²¹And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take up the sons of Israel, from the midst of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them together on every side, and I will lead them onto their own soil²²And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will be ruler over all. And they will no longer be two nations, nor will they be divided any more into two kingdoms²³And they will no longer be defiled by their idols, and by their abominations, and by all their iniquities. And I will save them, out of all the settlements in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. And they will be my people, and I will be their God²⁴And my servant David shall be the king over them, and they shall have one shepherd. They shall walk in my judgments, and they shall keep my commandments, and they shall do them²⁵And they shall live upon the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived. And they shall live upon it, they and their sons, and the sons of their sons, even for all time. And David, my servant, shall be their leader, in perpetuity²⁶And I will strike a covenant of peace with them. This will be an everlasting covenant for them. And I will establish them, and multiply them. And I will set my sanctuary in their midst, unceasingly²⁷And my tabernacle shall be among them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people²⁸And the Gentiles shall know that I am the Lord, the Sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary will be in their midst, forever.

Gospel - John 11.45-57

John

Chapter 11

⁴⁵Therefore, many of the Jews, who had come to Mary and Martha, and who had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him⁴⁶But certain ones among them went to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done⁴⁷And so, the high priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and they were saying: "What can we do? For this man accomplishes many signs⁴⁸If we leave him alone, in this way all will believe in him. And then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas, since he was the high priest that year, said to them: "You do not understand anything⁵⁰Nor do you realize that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the entire nation should not perish.⁵¹Yet he did not say this from himself, but since he was the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation⁵²And not only for the nation, but in order to gather together as one the children of God who have been dispersed⁵³Therefore, from that day, they planned to put him to death⁵⁴And so, Jesus no longer walked in public with the Jews. But he went into a region near the desert, to a city which is called Ephraim. And he lodged there with his disciples⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was near. And many from the countryside ascended to Jerusalem before the Passover, so that they might sanctify themselves⁵⁶Therefore, they were seeking Jesus. And they conferred with one another, while standing in the temple: "What do you think? Will he come to the feast day?⁵⁷And the high priests and Pharisees had given an order, so that if anyone would know where he may be, he should reveal it, so that they might apprehend him

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of hope, unity, and divine plan. The first reading from Ezekiel 37:21-28 paints a vivid picture of God's promise to restore His people. During the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel's prophecy brought hope to the Israelites, assuring them that God would gather them from their dispersion and establish them as one nation under one king, with an everlasting covenant. This message emphasizes God's faithfulness and His desire for His people's unity and restoration. The Gospel from John 11:45-57 shifts the scene to the aftermath of Lazarus's resurrection. While many believed in Jesus, others reported to the Pharisees, leading to a council where they decided Jesus must die to save the nation. Caiaphas's prophetic statement highlights the divine plan: Jesus would die not just for the nation but to gather all God's children. This passage underscores the tension between belief and opposition, revealing the deeper divine plan behind Jesus' death, which would fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy by expanding unity to include all God's children. Reflecting on these readings, we are reminded of the importance of unity and trust in God's plan. Ezekiel's vision of restoration finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who through His sacrifice unites all people. In our daily lives, we are called to embrace this unity, trusting in God's plan even amidst challenges. The moral lesson is clear: unity is a gift from God, and we must strive to maintain it. Just as Jesus sacrificed Himself for our salvation, we are called to live in unity and be willing to make sacrifices for others. Let us draw inspiration from these readings to live in unity and trust, reflecting God's love in our actions and decisions.