March 28, Saturday in Passion Week

Saturday in Passion Week

Today, I am publishing yesterday's Gospel and commentary by Dom Gueranger, since it has many applications to our own time.  Caiphas is a scoundrel, yet he is the High Priest who prophecies in God's name, though at the same time plotting His death!  We learn in this Gospel passage and the words of Dom Gueranger that while the religious authority IS the authority, they can be very far from perfect. Instead of being filled with zeal for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls, they compromise with the world, poisoning the well of grace.  Gueranger reminds us that the Jewish covenant has indeed been ended.  In this Gospel we reflect on the disaster of seeking peace on our own terms in opposition to the Will of Christ.  In their day, they seek to supress the truth of Christ in order to placate the Roman secular authority.  Surely, we can draw numerous parallels by which the religious authorities of the day suppress heavenly directives for worldly concerns.

I fully intend to elaborate on all of the above soon. There will be time for comment later, but Lent is drawing to a close, and we must prepare our souls now! 

I present here the Gospel and meditation of the incomparable Dom Gueranger.  As we head into Holy Week, let us redouble our prayers and sacrifices for our own conversion, that of our neighbor, for the Church and for the World. Long live Christ the King. Blessed be the name of Mary, our Mother and our Queen!

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John. Chapter 11

At that time: the chief priests and Pharisees assembled in council against Jesus, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let him alone, all men will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing; neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this he spoke not of himself; but being the high-priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but to gather in one the children of God, that were dispersed. 

From that day therefore they devised to put him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went unto a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples. 

Commentary of Dom Gueranger from the Gospel of Friday of Passion Week

Jesus is more than ever in danger of losing his life! The Council of the nation assembles to devise a plan for his destruction. Listen to these men, slaves of that vilest of passions, — jealousy. They do not deny the miracles of Jesus; therefore, they are in a condition to pass judgment upon him, and the judgment ought to be favorable. But they have not assembled to examine if he be or be not the Messias; it is to discuss the best plan for putting him to death. And what argument will they bring forward to palliate the evident murder they contemplate? Political interests, — their country's good. They argue thus: " If Jesus be longer allowed to appear in public and work miracles, Judea will rise up in rebellion against the Romans, who now govern us, and will proclaim Jesus to be their King; Rome will never allow us, the weakest of her tributaries, to insult her with impunity, and, in order to avenge the outrage offered to the Capitol, her armies will come and exterminate us." — Senseless Councilors! If Jesus had come that he might be King after this, world's fashion, all the powers of the earth could not have prevented it.

Again, — how is it that these Chief Priests and Pharisees, who know the Scriptures by heart, never once think of that prophecy of Daniel, which foretells, that in seventy weeks of years, after the going forth of the decree for the rebuilding of the Temple, the Christ shall be slain, and the people that shall deny him, shall cease to be His. (Dan., ix. 25) Moreover, that after this crime, a people, led on by a commander, shall come and destroy Jerusalem; the abomination of desolation shall enter the Holy Place, the temple shall be destroyed, and the desolation shall last even to the end. (Dan. ix, 26, 27) How is it that this prophecy is lost sight of? Surely, if they thought of it, they would not put Christ to death, for by putting him to death, they ruin their country! But to return to the Council. The High-Priest, who governed the Synagogue during the last days of the Mosaic Law, is a worthless man, by name Caiphas; he presides over the Council. He puts on the sacred Ephod, and he prophesies; his prophecy is from God, and is true. Let us not be astonished: the veil of the temple is not yet rent asunder; the covenant between God and Juda is not yet broken.

Caiphas is a blood-thirsty man, a coward, a sacrilegious wretch; still, he is High-Priest, and God speaks by his mouth. Let us hearken to this Balaam: Jesus shall die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but to gather in one the children of God, that were dispersed. Thus, the Synagogue is near her end, and is compelled to prophesy the birth of the Church, and that this birth is to be by the shedding of Jesus' Blood. Here birth is to be by the shedding of Jesus' Blood. Here and there, throughout the world, there are Children of God who serve him, among the Gentiles, as did the Centurion, Cornelius; but there was no visible bond of union among them. The time is at hand, when the great and only City of God is to appear on the mountain, and all nations shall flow unto it. (Is., i 2)

 

As soon as the Blood of the New Testament shall have been shed, and the Conqueror of death shall have risen from the grave, the day of Pentecost will convoke, not the Jews to the Temple of Jerusalem, but all nations to the Church of Jesus Christ. By that time, Caiphas will have forgotten the prophecy he uttered ; he will have ordered his servants to piece together the Veil of the Holy of Holies, which was torn in two at the moment of Jesus' death ; but this Veil will serve no purpose, for the Holy of Holies will be no longer there; a clean oblation will be offered up in every place, the Sacrifice of the New Law ; and scarcely shall the avengers of Jesus' death have appeared on Mount Olivet, than a voice will be heard in the Sanctuary of the repudiated Temple, saying : " Let us go out from this place !"