The Word today, Lent5C
- Admin
- Apr 5
- 3 min read
April 07 - April 12, 2025
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 This dramatic reading follows on extremely well from yesterday’s Gospel about the woman caught in adultery. Many dimensions could help us, but perhaps the courage and intelligence of Daniel could be underlined.
John 8:12-20 The theme of judgement unites the two readings—by which standards do we judge? In the discussion with the Pharisees, the Fourth Gospel offers us a deep and still challenging understanding of Jesus. Who was he? Who is he?
Numbers 21:4-9 We know from our human experience that when something is harming us, we need to face it. Something of that ordinary experience lies beyond this extraordinary story. The image of the serpent lifted up is found on the lips of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, speaking of his own death and resurrection.
John 8:21-30 The image of “lifting up”—so central to John’s Gospel—is taken from the story of the bronze serpent. The evangelist reminds us of our need the healing that God provides in Jesus.
Daniel 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 In this dramatic illustration, faithfulness to the one true God is a deadly risk— and yet God shows himself to be faithful to all who are faithful to him.
John 8:31-42 In early Christian reection, Abraham was in everyone’s mind—notably in Paul’s but also as we see in John’s gospel. The big question being answered is, who is Jesus?
Genesis 17:3-7 The reading today picks out an emblematic story about Abraham, as a preparation for the Gospel, where Abraham is mentioned again. He was the original man of faith, our father in faith, as Hebrews puts it, who put his trust in God and in a way God puts his trust in Abraham.
John 8:51-59 In the Fourth Gospel, there are seven I AM sentences, usually qualied by some image or afrmation such as the good shepherd. The I AM in today’s reading is without qualication, an absolute claim to identity with God. While clearly “theological, it may have a grounding in history: Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am.” (Mark 14:61–62).
Jeremiah 20:10-13 Right up to today, good people are made to suffer when they tell the truth and say it like it is. This was true also in the past: Jeremiah suffered greatly for his convictions and prophecies, in the same way as Jesus would, much later.
John 10:31-42 As often in John’s gospel, we are overhearing later disputes about the identity of Jesus and the arguments for and against. Only in the light of the resurrection did the early Christian really grasp who Jesus was and who the risen Jesus is today.
Ezekiel 37:21-28 This short reading was written a time of national disaster and disgrace. As we listen, we might keep in mind what picture of God comes out of this picture? Can it help me or us today?
John 11:45-56 Today, our reading takes us to the consequences of the story of Lazarus. John’s Gospel is looking back after many year’s of prayer and reection. The evangelist see that the cause of Jesus’ death was really who he was — the Messiah and the Son of God. Ironically, Caiaphas speaks the a deep truth, even if he doesn’t know what he is really saying: it is better for one man to die for the people.
References
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ac, April 6). Fifth Sunday of Lent. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040625-YearC.cfm
-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings
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