The stage is set for the greatest story ever told

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ And so the stage is set. This evening, in fact, we proclaim the first of the proclamations of the Passion of Christ, this one by St. Mark (Cycle B).

Deep messianic messages are being set forth by Ezekiel. The uniting all of God’s children to make one nation — the possessing of the land, and yet again the fulfillment of the promises of God all coming together.

God even declares that he will make his sanctuary among them and that sanctuary and his peace will be with them forever.

What was unknown even then was that all would be fulfilled in Christ, the true messiah!

+ And so the final curtain is about to come up. Too many signs. Too many people are coming to believe in Jesus.

So the question became clear —

“What are we going to do?”

Convinced that leaving Jesus alone would be disastrous, and surely would cause their nation to fall to the Romans, it was Caiaphas, the high priest of that year, that told them bluntly, “You know nothing!”

And he reasoned that it was better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish.

Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus was going to die.

But who, including Caiaphas, would have ever thought what this death would mean, and what this death would accomplish?

Yes, Jesus would die, but his death would bring life — life to all! His death would save the nation and all nations and all peoples for all time in ways that no one would have or could have ever prophesied or expected.

And so the stage is set, and the play must go on. We will tell it. We will hear it yet again. It is, indeed, the greatest story ever told, and together we will tell it again!