Saturday, April 4, 2020
Jennifer McPherson
Collect
O Lord, in your goodness you bestow abundant graces on your elect: Look with favor, we entreat you, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for Holy Baptism, and grant them the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reading
John 11:45-53
Many of the Jews who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
Reflection
Wow. Here we are on the cusp of Holy Week in what is perhaps the Lentiest Lent in our lifetimes. The gospel readings are bringing us closer to Jesus’s crucifixion. What is so surreal, to me, is that Jesus knows it’s coming. He knows it’s coming and he walks right towards it. What awaits on the other side? Resurrection, joy, a redeemed people. But he still had to go through that agonizing process to get there.
We know that this period in our lives will pass. It has to. We will be changed and we will come out of this as a new people. And yet, we still have to move through this time to get to the other side. I’ve been experiencing a lot of grief – grief for those suffering with this disease, grief for projects and dreams that have to be put on hold, grief that I’m not able to be with my community in person, and even grief that, well, I don’t have anyone to hug in my solo apartment! But what is happening? New projects and dreams are being planned (via the internet, of course). I’m taking the time to call my family, friends, dear people in this community that I miss so much, and we’re having amazing conversations! And also, I’m really thankful that I have a cat that loves to snuggle and doesn’t mind when I give him a big squeeze.
While we have faith that God will see us through this time, we know we’ve got a long way to go. And yes, we’re still on this Lent journey. Jesus is preparing himself to experience the unimaginable. Let’s pray hard, dear friends. Pray for this community, pray for our nation, pray for the world.
Lord, help us lean into this time of grief and trials, and let us come out of this a better people. Your people. Amen.