HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF LENT, LITURGICAL CALENDAR YEAR B

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF LENT, LITURGICAL CALENDAR YEAR B

THEME: Jesus was to die to gather together the scattered children of God.

BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

READINGS OF THE DAY
Ezekiel 37:21-28.
Resp Ps Jere 31:10-13.
John 11:45-56.

LITURGICAL COLOUR
PURPLE/VIOLET

INTRODUCTION
Good Morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, Liturgical Calendar Year B.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: SATURDAY HOMILY 4TH WEEK OF LENT – YEAR B

FROM OUR FIRST READING
In today’s first reading, the prophet Ezekiel has a vision of God gathering together his scattered people under one king-shepherd, David. Ezekiel’s reference to ‘one shepherd for all’ reminds us of the words of Jesus in the gospel of John, ‘there will be one flock, one shepherd’, a saying that has inspired the ecumenical movement, especially since the Second Vatican Council.

FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
Today’s gospel reading from the gospel of John suggests that Jesus’ death was in the service of this unifying work. The evangelist declares that Jesus died ‘to gather together in unity the scattered children of God’. Jesus’ death, and resurrection, was the fullest expression of Jesus’ unifying work. Jesus would go on to declare in this gospel, ‘when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself’.

CONCLUSION
According to this gospel, Jesus’ death was the revelation of God’s love for the world, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’. It was also the complete expression of Jesus’ love for his disciples, and, through them, for the world, ‘no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’. The cross was an explosion of love, of God’s love for the world through Jesus, and it is in the nature of all authentic love to unite, to create communion, to gather people together. All of the baptized, regardless of their church affiliation, can gather at the foot of the cross, in response to the drawing power of Jesus’ love. As we allow ourselves to be drawn to Jesus, we will discover that we are drawn closer to each other, we become one in the Lord. This Holy Week we are invited to allow the Lord’s love to draw us closer to himself and to those from whom we are estranged in any way.
Have a Blessed Holy Week ahead.

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