Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading I: Isaiah 65:17-21
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
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Commentary on Is 65:17-21
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the “New Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading I: Isaiah 65:17-21
Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.
No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying;
No longer shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime;
He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years,
and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
They shall live in the houses they build,
and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 65:17-21
The Prophet Isaiah envisions the “New Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part bystanders are asked to join in the hymn and then a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 4:43-54
At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 4:43-54
This selection from St. John’s Gospel is the story of Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee and the second sign. Here we find the life giving word of Jesus being displayed as the officials faithful response to Jesus challenge provides the setting as Jesus tells him “You may go; your son will live.” This statement coincides with the healing that occurred some distance away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The idea that God participates with us in life is something implicit in Holy Scripture. Most of the time this involvement of God is subtle, perceptible only after the fact and with reflection, as in the case of the healing of the Official’s Son today. Other times His presence in our lives comes like a blinding flash and, if we are fortunate, we recognize these things a give thanks.
Today in the scripture we are reminded of this participation by the Lord. First we see the Prophet Isaiah, deep in his own prophetic vision, seeing a time when the perfection of God’s Kingdom will be manifested on earth. He sees that all the troubles of our earthly lives will be washed away and the faithful, having opened themselves to God’s will, will live in peace and harmony as God intended. This is about as close to a written description of the plan God has for us as we see in Scripture.
It is clear from the strophes in the hymn of praise of the Thirtieth Psalm that David, the composer recognized God’s active help in his life. He praises God for his own salvation, recognizing that it is not through his strength that he is saved, but through the unmerited intervention of the Almighty Father.
Finally we see in St. John’s Gospel the power of faith in the Word – the Logos. The official, we are told comes to Jesus upon his return to Cana. He has been unsuccessful in his own home because the people thought they knew him as just another home grown teacher who had put on airs. The Lord was clearly disappointed in them when the official approached him. Upon hearing that the Official’s son was on death’s door his first response was: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The official persisted, demonstrating his faith in Jesus as a conduit of salvation. The Lord immediately relented showing the power of his Word - “You may go; your son will live.”
This is a rare occasion where we see the power of that Word. Jesus was not there, present with the sick child. He reached out with his will and the child was healed. It is this strength we call upon when difficulties enter our lives. Indeed we call upon it each time we celebrate the Eucharist as the Body of Christ is elevated and we say “Lord I am not worthy to receive you. But only say the Word and I shall be healed.”
Today we look for the presence or the Word of God in our lives, knowing it is there, knowing it supports us at need. We pray for not only God’s continued help but also for the grace to see His saving hand at work in our lives.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Jesus Heals the Nobleman’s Son” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b
Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part bystanders are asked to join in the hymn and then a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 4:43-54
At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,
since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast;
for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine.
Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
he went to him and asked him to come down
and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him,
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”
The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.
Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 4:43-54
This selection from St. John’s Gospel is the story of Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee and the second sign. Here we find the life giving word of Jesus being displayed as the officials faithful response to Jesus challenge provides the setting as Jesus tells him “You may go; your son will live.” This statement coincides with the healing that occurred some distance away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The idea that God participates with us in life is something implicit in Holy Scripture. Most of the time this involvement of God is subtle, perceptible only after the fact and with reflection, as in the case of the healing of the Official’s Son today. Other times His presence in our lives comes like a blinding flash and, if we are fortunate, we recognize these things a give thanks.
Today in the scripture we are reminded of this participation by the Lord. First we see the Prophet Isaiah, deep in his own prophetic vision, seeing a time when the perfection of God’s Kingdom will be manifested on earth. He sees that all the troubles of our earthly lives will be washed away and the faithful, having opened themselves to God’s will, will live in peace and harmony as God intended. This is about as close to a written description of the plan God has for us as we see in Scripture.
It is clear from the strophes in the hymn of praise of the Thirtieth Psalm that David, the composer recognized God’s active help in his life. He praises God for his own salvation, recognizing that it is not through his strength that he is saved, but through the unmerited intervention of the Almighty Father.
Finally we see in St. John’s Gospel the power of faith in the Word – the Logos. The official, we are told comes to Jesus upon his return to Cana. He has been unsuccessful in his own home because the people thought they knew him as just another home grown teacher who had put on airs. The Lord was clearly disappointed in them when the official approached him. Upon hearing that the Official’s son was on death’s door his first response was: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The official persisted, demonstrating his faith in Jesus as a conduit of salvation. The Lord immediately relented showing the power of his Word - “You may go; your son will live.”
This is a rare occasion where we see the power of that Word. Jesus was not there, present with the sick child. He reached out with his will and the child was healed. It is this strength we call upon when difficulties enter our lives. Indeed we call upon it each time we celebrate the Eucharist as the Body of Christ is elevated and we say “Lord I am not worthy to receive you. But only say the Word and I shall be healed.”
Today we look for the presence or the Word of God in our lives, knowing it is there, knowing it supports us at need. We pray for not only God’s continued help but also for the grace to see His saving hand at work in our lives.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Jesus Heals the Nobleman’s Son” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
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