Breaking the Word

4^th week in Lent, Thursday – 31^st March 2022 — Gospel: Jn 5,31-47

Seeking Vainglory

Seeking to please others is an obstacle to faith: “How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5,44). Seeking the praise of other people blocks our way of loving God and others. When we act in this way, we shine light on ourselves instead of on Jesus Christ. Jesus has already warned, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 6,1). Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from selfishness to selfless, domination to service and fear to love and not many are inclined to make this change. It is not easy to believe in Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical change in one’s life orientation. The antidotes to vainglory are humility and purity of intention. We can purify our intentions by considering what motivates us most: love of God and neighbour, or love of ourselves and the attention we are seeking from doing good things. Therefore, we must pay attention to this unhealthy habit and resolve intentionally not to seek praises. We need to consciously change our motivation and prefer to live God and our neighbour.

4^th week in Lent, Wednesday – 30^th March 2022 — Gospel: Jn 5,17-30

Being obedient Son always

Jesus defends his authority to work on the Sabbath and claims of his equality with God. Breaking the Sabbath was a serious offence, but claiming oneself equal to God constituted blasphemy, the most serious offence of all. Jesus explains his relationship with the Father, as the son learns from the father through example and imitation. In all that Jesus does he is never independent; he is subject to the Father and dependent on the Father’s power and love. This union with the Father gives him the privilege on earth to carry out His work; that of giving eternal life and executing judgement. Eternal life is given to those who hear the words of Jesus and believe in the Father who sent him. The executing judgment takes place, for those who accept or reject the revelation of God through Jesus. While the eternal life and judgement take place in the life after, some are condemned or vindicated even now.