SATURDAY IN PASSION WEEK

Saturday in Passion Week

Prayer.

MAY Thy right hand defend Thy suppliant people, we be seech Thee, O Lord, and worthily instruct them, being purified in Thy sight, that by present consolation it may profit for future good things. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc.

EPISTLE. Jer. xviii. 18-23.

In those days the impious Jews said : Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias : for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet : come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words. Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, be cause they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in Thy sight, to speak good for them, and to turn away Thy indignation from them. Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword : let their wives be bereaved of children, and widows : and let the husbands be slain by death : let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of their houses : for Thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly : because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. But Thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death : forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from Thy sight : let them be overthrown before Thy eyes ; in the time of Thy wrath do Thou destroy them, O Lord our God.

GOSPEL. John xii. 10-36.

At that time a great multitude, that was come to the festival-day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm-trees and went forth to. meet Him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written ; Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh sitting on an ass s colt. These things His disciples did not know at the first : but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. The multitude therefore gave testimony, which wras with Him when He called Lazarus out of the grave, and raised him from the dead. For which reason also the people came to meet Him : because they heard that He had done this miracle The Pharisees therefore said among themselves : Do you see that we prevail nothing? behold, the whole world is gone after Him, Now there were certain gentiles among them who came up to adore on the festival-day. These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying: Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, say ing : The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.  Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal.  If any man minister to Me, let him follow Me : and where I am, there also shall My minister be. If any man minister to Me, him will My Father honor. Now is My soul troubled.  And what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.  A voice therefore came from heaven : I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The multitude therefore that stood and heard said that it thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to Him. Jesus answered, and said: This voice came not be cause of Me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of the world : now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself.  (Now this He said, signifying what death He should die.) The multitude answered Him: We have heard out of the law, that Christ abideth forever : and how sayest Thou : The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Jesus therefore said to them : Yet a little while the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness overtake you not.  And he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.  Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light. These things Jesus spoke, and He went away, and hid Himself from them.
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Next: Palm Sunday