Works are always more powerful than words (HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF LENT

Homily for Friday of the 5th week of Lent 

Jeremiah 20:10-13. Psalm 18:2-3a,3bc-4,5-6,7. John 10:31-42.

What is our reaction when people who are close to us persecute us for having done no wrong? This is the case of Jesus in today's Gospel and prophet Jeremiah in the first reading.

Jesus, in today's Gospel, went as far as telling his people, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know that the Father is in me and I am in the Father" (John 10:37).

Works are always more powerful than words. Words may convince the mind, but works move the will to action - to decision. In our case, do our works match our words? Or are we "all words and no works?"

Jesus walked away from his persecutors, leaving behind his good works as evidence of his person.

Jeremiah, in the first reading, placed his trust in God to deliver him from the hands of his persecutors,

 and in doing this, our enemies will never succeed in overcoming us once we put our trust in God because the Lord will be with us as a dread warrior and cause our persecutors to stumble since in the words of the Responsorial Psalm, "In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard me."

May God shield and protect us from every attack of the evil ones through Christ our Lord. Amen.