Quinquagesima Approaches!

The Gospel for Quinquagesima Sunday begins:

Luke 18:31-34 - At that time, Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon; and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they understood not the things that were said. 

Reflection:

As the Season of Septuagesima draws near to an end, this Sunday, Quinquagesima (roughly 50 days before Easter) the Gospel lesson has Jesus telling His Apostles what will become of Him when they get to Jerusalem - and yet they did not understand Him.

In the last part of the Quinquagesima Gospel reading, verses Luke 18:41-43, is the story of a blind man who cried out to the Lord that his sight might be restored. He believed Jesus could restore his sight, and Jesus tells him that by his faith, he has been made whole. 

When offering up something for Lent, it may start off as a relatively easy task, but toward the end of the 40 days of Quadragesima (Lent), even this simplest of offerings can become difficult. Let us have faith and believe that through our uniting of our suffering, as minor or great as it might be, to that of the Passion of Jesus Christ - that we too can be made whole and enter into Eastertide in the state of Grace and renewal.