29 March, 2023 | Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

 Gospel Jn 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,

"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham

and have never been enslaved to anyone.

How can you say, 'You will become free'?"

Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,

everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

A slave does not remain in a household forever,

but a son always remains.

So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.

I know that you are descendants of Abraham.

But you are trying to kill me,

because my word has no room among you.

I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;

then do what you have heard from the Father."

They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."

Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,

you would be doing the works of Abraham.

But now you are trying to kill me,

a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;

Abraham did not do this.

You are doing the works of your father!"

So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.

We have one Father, God."

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,

for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me."

Reflections:

In today’s  Gospel Jesus says, ‘if you make my word your home, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free’. A free person is a loving person, loving one another, forgiving one another and reaching out to others as Jesus did. St Paul teaches us in his letter to the Corinthians ‘where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, and the fruit of the Spirit is love. Jesus is inviting each one of us to a life of freedom. It is Jesus who can free us from the bondage of sin through the power of the spirit. 

Activity :

Allow yourself to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God wants you to live and to love as God loves with the true freedom to give of yourself to others as Jesus gave himself to you.