In today’s first reading, God promises to reunite all the Jewish people into one nation. The Jewish people were widely dispersed and intermarried with the Gentiles, so this would be difficult to do. God’s plan to do this is by offering salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. St Paul, a devout Jew who became a Christian, called himself the Apostle to the Gentiles. St. Paul says multiple times in the New Testament that the Gospel is for Jews and Gentiles. I don’t think we can fully grasp how radical this is. Jews and Gentiles were separate and lived very different lives in the ancient world. But Christ died for all, and now Christians are the new chosen people united under Christ!
The Fulfilment of this Prophecy
In today’s Gospel, John writes about the fulfilment of this prophecy from the first reading.
“And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed.” -John 11:51-52
Take to Prayer
There are so many promises of God found in the first reading of today. As we get closer to Easter, these promises would be a great thing to take to prayer to give you strength to help you persevere in your Lenten observances.
“And I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will establish them, and will multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever. And my tabernacle shall be with them: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever.” -Ez 37:26-28
