Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Just one week before Good Friday, we hear proclaimed a terrifying Gospel. Those gathered around Jesus were beginning to pick up rocks to stone Him. In light of such a physical threat from not just one person, but a crowd, anyone else may have began taking a more pacifying track. But the Gospel according to John instead describes Jesus not trying to calm the crowd down, but asking a question which contained an irritating amount of logic: “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” (John 10:32) It is a question which continues to resound throughout the years. We see what Jesus does, we hear what He says, yet when these words and actions begin to make demands on us, to change our ways of thinking or of acting, how do we respond? Not infrequently, hearts today, like hearts of Jesus’ own time, try to silence the voice of Christ calling for conversion. And again the Lord can ask us, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” (John 10:32)
On this last Lenten Friday before Holy Week, let us pray for two graces. We can ask the Lord, “Forgive me for the times I have tried to shut out your voice and example so that I could try to live in grudges, or greed, or lust, or ambition, or neglect of those in need.” And we can ask the Lord, “Help me to instead conform me ways to You who are the Way, no matter the cost.” May Christ crucified show us how much He wants to grant us these requests.