Cesar Fernandez-Stoll

Gospel text ( Jn  11,45-56) :  Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the Sanhedrin Council. They said, «What are we to do? For this man keeps on giving miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and sweep away our Holy Place and our nation». Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, «You know nothing at all nor do you see clearly what you need. It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed». In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold as a prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day on, they were determined to kil

Gospel text ( Jn  10,31-42) :  The Jews then picked up stones to throw at him; so Jesus said, «I have openly done many good works among you which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?». The Jews answered, «We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for insulting God; you are only a man and you make yourself God». Then Jesus replied, «Is this not written in your Law: I said: you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods and the Scripture is always true. Then what should be said of the one anointed and sent into the world by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say: ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do, and know that the Father is in me and I in the Father». Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John

Gospel text ( Jn  8,51-59) :  Jesus said to the Jews, «Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death». The Jews replied, «Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say: ‘Whoever keeps my word will never experience death’. Who do you claim to be? Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets also died». Then Jesus said, «If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God, although you don't know him. I know him and if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word. As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it». The Jews then said to him, «You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?». And Jesus said «Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.». They then pi

Gospel text ( Jn  8,31-42) :  Jesus went on to say to the Jews who believed in him: «You will be my true disciples if you keep my word. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free». They answered him, «We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean by saying: ‘You will be free?’». Jesus answered them, «Truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave. But the slave doesn't stay in the house forever; the son stays forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be really free. I know that you are the descendants of Abraham; yet you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. For my part I speak of what I have seen in the Father's presence, but you do what you have learned from your father». They answered him, «Our father is Abraham». Then Jesus said, «If you were Abraham's children, you would do as Abraham did. But now you want to kill me, the one who tells you the truth —the truth that I have lea

Gospel text ( Jn  8,21-30) :  Jesus said to the Pharisees, «I am going away, and though you look for me, you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come». The Jews wondered, «Why does he say that we can't come where he is going? Will he kill him­self?». But Jesus said, «You are from below and I am from above; you are of this world and I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you shall die in your sins unless you believe that I am He». They asked him, «Who are you?»; and Jesus said, «Just what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the One who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him, I proclaim to the world». They didn't understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, «When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my­self, but I say just what the Father taught me. He who sent me is

Gospel text ( Jn  8,1-11) :  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.  Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. «Master», they said, «this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but you, what do you say?». They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against him. Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. And as they continued to ask him, He straightened up and said to them, «Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her». And He bent down again, writing on the ground.  As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Then Jesus stood up

Gospel text ( Jn  11,1-45) :  There was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick.  So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, «Lord, the one you love is sick». On hearing this Jesus said, «This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God's glory and the Son of God will be glorified through it». It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was.  Only then did He say to his disciples, «Let us go into Judea again». They replied, «Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone you. Are you going there again?». Jesus said to them, «Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stu