Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. (Jn 7:40-53)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040222.cfm
The question of where Jesus is from is a central question. Matthew and Luke begin their gospels by carefully having Jesus born in the city of David (Bethlehem). But the Fourth Gospel has no problem with Jesus being from Galilee—because the Fourth Gospel answers the question of Jesus’ origins by saying that Jesus is from God. Through the prayers of the Mother of God, may God protect the Ukrainian people.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saturday of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lent, April 2
