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“I pray that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John -17:21

And how did our loving God choose to unite us all? He chose do so through His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who died to take away Sin; Sin that binds and separates us from Him and from one another. Do we then choose to continue, to see and allow our differences to separate us? Or do we stand united and remain focus on our Bridegroom, the head of our Family?

Lord Jesus, let me never forget that I am not alone but a member of a loving covenantal family under God. Amen

FIRST READING
Ezekiel 37:21–28

Gospel
John 11:45-56
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him.
So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”

The Word proclaimed today reminds us that we have a powerful and loving ally. And though many will try to persecute us for our faith or denounce our efforts to serve our Lord as vainglory; yet we will be vindicated.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. (In tribulatióne mea invocávi Dóminum, et exaudívit me.)

I place all my faith and trust in You Lord, for I know You will not abandon me. Glory to God in the highest! Amen

First Reading
Jeremiah 20:10-13

Gospel
John 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.