Panis Angelicus: Division Over Who Jesus Is

MARCH 24, 2023 FRIDAY

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 248

Reading 1

Wis 2:1a, 12-22

The wicked said among themselves,

thinking not aright:

"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;

he sets himself against our doings,

Reproaches us for transgressions of the law

and charges us with violations of our training.

He professes to have knowledge of God

and styles himself a child of the LORD.

To us he is the censure of our thoughts;

merely to see him is a hardship for us,

Because his life is not like that of others,

and different are his ways.

He judges us debased;

he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.

He calls blest the destiny of the just

and boasts that God is his Father.

Let us see whether his words be true;

let us find out what will happen to him.

For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him

and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

With revilement and torture let us put him to the test

that we may have proof of his gentleness

and try his patience.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

for according to his own words, God will take care of him."

These were their thoughts, but they erred;

for their wickedness blinded them,

and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;

neither did they count on a recompense of holiness

nor discern the innocent souls' reward.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Many are the troubles of the just man,

but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

He watches over all his bones;

not one of them shall be broken.

The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;

no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

Verse Before the Gospel

Mt 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel

Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee;

he did not wish to travel in Judea,

because the Jews were trying to kill him.

But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.

But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,

he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,

"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?

And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.

Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?

But we know where he is from.

When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,

"You know me and also know where I am from.

Yet I did not come on my own,

but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.

I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

So they tried to arrest him,

but no one laid a hand upon him,

because his hour had not yet come.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Our gospel today tells us of Jesus going up to Jersualem for one of the big feast days and how he preached to the people. He got a mixed reception. Many refused to believe him because they felt he was not important enough, since they knew where he came from, which as a “backward place”. Jesus tries to tell them that he comes from god and asks them to listen to Gods message.

Yet at times the Son of God spoke openly. But the people did not know how to react to him. Some thought that he was just a man from Nazareth. But he had a background which they did not grasp. Another One, his Father, had sent him into the world. He was from above.

The one who sent Jesus contains all truth. But Jesus himself is that truth. Those who listened to him did not really know what truth is. To accept Jesus is to have the truth at its deepest level

PRAYER:

The people think they know who Jesus is and where he comes from. We make snap judgements about others all the time, not realising how our own limitations blind us to their truth. Today, Lord, open my eyes to see the extraordinary immortals with whom I deal daily. And let me see myself thus also.

What is "Panis Angelicus"?

It started from a simple spiritual bible verse on which I mostly posted daily in my personal Facebook account, I've seeing myself realizing the idea what if I will post something different to my audiences sharing my spiritual thoughts/insights in life based on my experiences as a former church servant. Indeed, the world of social media nowadays are full of negativity where many people who are "toxic" in terms of sharing ideas and opinions, on which I personally described. Some people have already forgotten the so-called respect and being open-minded in terms of sharing ideas and opinions on each other. It comes to the point that sometimes we didn't know and feel that we're already crossing the lines causing our egos would probably triggered and even tempered due to our different emotions and expressions. For me, there are lots of causes and reasons why all of these are happen in our society today. Maybe it's because the world nowadays are also under the influence of a so-called millennial traits and other social aspects in life on which other people most especially the youth tend to do unnecessary traits that would make to hurt the feelings of others. By this, some people often forget to show RESPECT to their elder ones and even their parents as well. The new generation of youth today is far different from those times of our lolos and lolas. Even in simple greeting (in a normal traditional Filipino custom of Mano Po) showing your respect to your elders are already forgotten to practice by some of our younger ones and even adults of today. Some people often forget to pray and say the Holy Rosary together with your family every night and even go to church on Sundays to attend holy masses, maybe it is because the people of today are also changing their personal aspects and priorities in life due to power, wealth and pride.

So I decided create this blog page entitled, "Panis Angelicus". This name (Latin for "Bread of Angels" or "Angelic Bread") derived from the penultimate strophe of the hymn "Sacris solemniis" written by Saint Thomas Aquinas for the feast of Corpus Christi as part of a complete liturgy of the feast, including prayers for the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a collection of spiritual reflections/verses taken from the Daily Readings in the Holy Bible. Aside of spiritual reflections/verses, you'll also read some of my different insights/opinions regarding on the different types of issues that happen in our world today and what would be its connection in terms of talking about the spiritual aspects in life.

By this simple cause on which I usually loved to do during my church days to help other people in the community by means of participating on various community outreach programs organized by the former parish church that I've served, I'm eagerly open my hands to help most especially those people who already reject nor forget GOD as the center of their life by means of educating and enlighten their minds not just in spiritual aspects but also in moral aspects of life that in this world, nobody's perfect and permanent. Feel free to comment on my posts or share your own thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.

Division Over Who Jesus Is

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