Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Sign Of Contradiction
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
Jesus, the Son of God, showed in his life and actions that he was no ordinary human being, even in the face of contradiction. Christians, sons and daughters of God without a capital s or d, who take their faith seriously, will also meet contradictions. They cannot compromise if that would be tantamount to betrayal or dishonesty toward themselves, their faith, or others. But, they know that they are in God’s hands. And their deeds will speak for themselves. With Jesus, God’s Son, may we do the work that the Father has entrusted to us.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
you are a loyal God,
ever faithful to your promises.
Strengthen our faith,
that with Jesus, we may always keep trusting in you
in spite of prejudices, ridicule or contradiction.
Give us the firm conviction
that you are irrevocably committed to us
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see 7) In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me.
R. In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
R. In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
Alleluia Verse
Glory and Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
Glory and Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ
Prayers of the Faithful
– For men and women, who are persecuted because of their faith and feel abandoned, that they may find strength in prayer, we pray:
– For all, who feel deserted by God and people, that they may learn again through good people that they are in the hands of God, we pray:
– For people who have seriously sinned, that in these days of Lent, they may repent and return to the Lord, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God,
The sign of your loyalty to us is
that your Son comes among us.
Keep us also loyal to you
When we have to face contradictions
because of our faith.
Give us the Holy Spirit of strength
who inspired your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father,
Jesus faced opposition
because he claimed to be your Son,
the Son of God.
May we who claim to be
your sons and daughters,
lovingly do what you want us to do,
that people may believe in you and your Son
not so much because of what we say
but because of what we are and do
for the sake of Jesus Christ,
Your Son and our Lord forever.
Blessing
May our faith in the Lord Jesus be unshakable. We know how much he has done for us, how he was contradicted, suffered and died for us. He, the Son of God, has made us sons and daughters of God. May God continue blessing you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
John 10:31-42
You are gods
We are close to the Holy Week. From the fourth week of Lent, the Gospel texts for the day’s liturgy are almost exclusively from the Gospel of John. Over the past two weeks, we have been listening to the gradual unveiling of the mystery of God the Father, as revealed by Jesus. Alongside this, we have also observed the increasing rejection of Jesus' message by the Jewish people, who became increasingly resistant to it.
Today’s Gospel presents the second occasion Jesus’ enemies wanted to stone him. It was the festival of the consecration of the temple, but the Jews wanted to kill Jesus for insulting their God. Many people still believe they need to protect their gods as though God cannot defend Himself!
Jesus reminds his audience of the scriptures and says, "I said you are gods." By receiving the word of God, we become God, or, as the mystic doctor John of the Cross repeatedly puts it, “God-by-participation.” If one is God by participation, the evidence of our godliness or divinity lies in the way we live our lives. Jesus invites the crowd to see the works he does and believe that the Father and he are one. If we were to subject ourselves to a DNA test of our godly origins, would the result be positive or negative?
Lent is a time to dedicate ourselves to God anew and to realise that we are members of the household of God. Recognizing our unworthy behaviours as a child of God and rectifying them is crucial.
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John 10: 31-42
Stones, Works, and Faith
In today’s Gospel, Jesus once again faces hostility. His words provoke such anger that his opponents pick up stones, ready to kill Him. Why? Because Jesus challenged their understanding of God, inviting them to go deeper into the mystery of who God is. Instead of embracing the truth, they clung to their fears and chose violence.
How often do we do the same? In today’s world, the stones we throw may not be literal, but our words, opinions, and harsh judgments can wound deeply. Social media has become a battleground where people freely cast stones without knowing the hearts or lives they harm. Jesus calls us to a different way—a way of mercy, dialogue, and understanding.
He also reminds us that we are called to live a divine life. “You are gods,” Jesus quotes from Scripture, not to deny God’s transcendence but to remind us that we are made in His image and called to reflect His holiness. We carry a spark of the divine in us. Lent is a time to nourish this divine presence through prayer, silence, and works of charity.
Jesus points to His works as testimony to who He is. His actions reveal the Father’s love. Likewise, our actions—not just our words—must reveal who we are as disciples. Faith isn’t a label we wear; it’s a life we live. Others will know we belong to Christ by how we act.
As we approach Holy Week, may we entrust ourselves to Mary, who stood faithfully by the Cross. When life feels broken, and hope seems distant, she reminds us that God’s promise endures. Even as Jesus’ enemies tried to silence him, his love triumphed. So too, our faithfulness will bear fruit if we remain in Him.