4th Saturday of Lent - The Eternal Judge

  

 In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of those, who plot against one, who is trusting like a lamb led to the slaughter. These words vividly recall Jesus, the Lamb of God, who many plotted against in order to kill Him. Our Lord was like an innocent lamb, led to the slaughter of the Cross.

However, the responsorial psalm states, “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge, save me from all my pursuers and rescue me.” Jesus was not rescued from His pursuers, who plotted against Him. Rather, He was nailed to the wood of the tree. He was rescued after death, when He rose from the dead, on the day of His resurrection that first Easter morning.

We see in the Gospel, the time of Jesus for His passion comes closer and closer. The chief priests and the Pharisees had sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus and some even in the crowd wanted to arrest Our Lord, but no one laid hands on Him.

The guards could not bring themselves to arrest Jesus because they were enamored by His words. His words touched their hearts. The guards told the chief priests and Pharisees, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” The Pharisees in their blind rage and viciousness accused the guards of being deceived. However, one of the Pharisees, who was a secret disciple and would come to Jesus only by night, would say, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”

At this point, we can see the spiritual battle unfolding. Those whose hearts were touched by the words of Jesus see the intention to arrest Him is wrong. While those who are intent on their desire to kill Him and do away with Him, their hearts are hardened to His message of love.

Jesus is like an innocent and trusting lamb being led to the slaughter. There are those who are hatching plots to slaughter the Lamb of God and want to destroy Him. And there are those whose hearts are moved by grace by His words and His actions.

Today, the battle continues. All the more urgent is it for us to pray for people of our time whose hearts are closed to God’s grace. That they may see the love and compassion of Jesus and will embrace and love Him, rather than turn away from Him.

Always in the end, the good are rewarded in heaven and the wicked will perish unto eternal fire. In the end--- those who are judging Jesus, are judging the eternal judge, who they will judge them at the moment their soul departs their body.

May we turn to Mary, the Queen of All Hearts and ask Her to touch hardened hearts and make their hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus. For truly Her Immaculate Heart intercedes and makes new the hearts of all Her children.