31 March 2023
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
The Mass readings today are rich for contemplation as well as helpful preparations for Holy Week.
Let’s reflect on the 1st. Jeremiah is persecuted, not only by enemies but also by former friends, only because he is proclaiming the word of God, “the might champion” in the conflict. Then, he tells the Lord, “Let me witness the vengeance you take on them”. That might be a little much for Jesus, but it is an affirmation of his trust in God’s almighty strength and power.
He gets sweeter toward the end, and entrusts his cause “to the Lord with song and praise” because the Lord “has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.”
Jeremiah is seen as a prefiguration of Jesus in his sufferings. He was hailed, then condemned by the crowds, betrayed or abandoned by his friends, but he is confident God would not abandon him.
To progress in the faith, it is necessary to see that challenging events or statements allows one to be more opened to the essential truth: Jesus teaches everyone that he leads him to God, the Father, who loves him in a special, unique way.
Resolve: I shall pray to Jesus, thanking him for my faith and asking him that during the coming Holy Week that faith will grow stronger. I shall also ask him to look kindly on those who have abandoned their faith, and give them the grace to reclaim it.