Commentary on the Mass Readings: Sat, Mar 28

0:00Saturday, March 28. The first reading from Ezekiel chapter 37 verses 21 through 28. Thus says the Lord God, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people, and I may be their God. My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all. They shall live by my statutes, and carefully observe my decrees. They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers

1:01lived. They shall live on it forever, they and their children, and their children's children, with my servant David, their prince forever. I will make with them a covenant of peace, it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. That's the nation shall know that it is I the Lord, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever. Haydah Commentary The Jews were long without kings after the captivity, then they were not of the tribe of Judah, and all did not return. Only Christ fulfills the prediction. The Jews, even many of the priests, worshiped idols under Antiochus, but the church has never defiled. David refers to Christ, the one shepherd, over all nations. My sanctuary shall be set up among them forever, but the Jews show how this has been accomplished.

2:05We know that Christ preserves and rules his church onto the end. The Gospel from John chapter 11 verses 45 through 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 convene 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.

3:06So 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? Hey, not commentary. The chief priest said, what are we doing? As if they had said, why are we so slow, so remiss and indolent in our proceedings against this man, when we daily see what numbers he draws after him by his miracles? Caiaphas did not speak of himself, but as the high priest of that year, the spirit of prophecy was given him, and he foretells that Jesus was delayed out his life both for the nation of the Jews and for all mankind. The gift of prophecy itself does not make a man holy. It was also given to the wicked Baalum, see Numbers chapter 24. It is supposed that he exercised the sacrificial office alternately with his father and

4:08law Anis, who as we have seen in Luke chapter 2 was also called high priest. How great is the power of the Holy Ghost? From a wicked mind he brings forth the words of prophecy, and how great is the power attached to the pontifical dignity? For Caiaphas having become high priest, though unworthy of that dignity, prophesies, not knowing indeed what he says. The Holy Ghost makes use of his tongue only, but touches not his sinful heart. So say St. John Chrysostom. The same words have an impious and sacrilegious sense in the intention of the high priest, the enemy of Jesus Christ, and a divine and prophetic sense in the intention of the Holy Ghost. We hear behold the privilege of the office and order, though in a wicked person, and as we have the assistance of God for the utterance of truth, which Caiaphas neither met nor knew, we may rest satisfied that Christ will not leave Peter's chair, whose faith he promises should never fail, though the occupants be as bad as their enemies describe them. Ephraim was a small city or town in the neighborhood of Bethel.

5:10Some suppose it to be the same as Ephraim mentioned in 2 Chronicles 1319 and 1 Macabees 5-2. UCBS and St. Jerome say it was situated about 20 miles to the north of Jerusalem. He or he remained with his disciples till the time in which he had resolved to deliver himself up into the hands of his enemies.