Daily Readings - Sat Apr 12 2025
Ezekiel
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.
John
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?
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound themes of unity, sacrifice, and divine providence. The first reading from Ezekiel paints a vivid picture of God's promise to restore Israel, gathering the dispersed and uniting them under one shepherd, with an everlasting covenant. This vision, born during the Babylonian exile, speaks of hope and renewal, emphasizing God's faithfulness to His people despite their past sins.
The Gospel reading from John shifts our focus to the events leading up to Jesus's crucifixion. Here, we see the growing opposition to Jesus, culminating in Caiaphas's unwitting prophecy that Jesus would die for the nation, extending His sacrifice to include all God's children. This passage highlights the tension between fear of loss and the greater plan of salvation, illustrating how Jesus's death unites all people in a spiritual restoration, fulfilling Ezekiel's vision in a deeper, universal sense.
Reflecting on these readings, we are reminded of the importance of unity within our communities and the Church. Just as Ezekiel foresaw a physical restoration and Jesus achieved a spiritual one, we are called to contribute to this unity through our actions and sacrifices. The moral lesson here is one of trust and selflessness: trusting in God's plan and being willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. Let us strive to embody this unity and trust, living as one body in Christ, just as Ezekiel and John envisioned.