March 28, 2026 // Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 11:45-56
Reflect on the Word //
“If that baby had not miscarried, I would not exist.” The words of my daughter were startling, but even more so was her brother’s repetition of her words about another baby who had died in utero. If my mother had not become terminally ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), our family would not have come together in love and prayer to care for her and my father. If I had not suffered from Lyme disease for nearly a year, my husband and I would not have grown closer in self-giving love. In our fallen, suffering world, God has a way to redeem every circumstance, no matter how challenging.
In today’s Gospel, God works through the evil intentions of the high priest Caiaphus as the chief priests and Pharisees plan to put Jesus to death. As high priest, Caiaphus has the gift of prophecy, and his words that seem like a political move—to protect the Jews from their Roman rulers—has a deep spiritual meaning: “He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God” (John 11:51). Caiaphus did not know nor did he believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah that the Jews were waiting for—he likely saw Jesus as a rival teacher. But God worked through the evil acts of the priests and Pharisees, and brought about salvation for their nation as well as the whole world, through Christ’s offering of Himself and Resurrection.
Sister, we will all have trying times in our lives—unexplained losses, illnesses, division between family and friends. The Lord invites us to bring our suffering to Him, to join Him on the Cross, to offer these deep sufferings in and through His ultimate sacrifice. He already has and will continue to redeem all that is lost. Entrust your suffering to His care. Offer Him your loved ones. Sometimes all we can do is pray and let the Lord do the work of changing hearts.
Relate to the Lord // Look at Jesus in prayer today and give Him permission to change your heart and redeem your sufferings.
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Devotions Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer and editor and a teacher. She lives with her philosopher husband, three teen daughters, one pre-teen son, and a miracle baby girl in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology and novels, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew , Listen to Him: A Meditation on Mark, Preach in His Name: A Meditation on Luke, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was the contributing author and editor for our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up. She was the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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