Gospel: Jn 20:1-9 (or Mk 16:1-7 (or Evening: Lk 24:13-35)
Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark,
and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved,
and she said to them,  “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid him.”

Gospel: Mk 16:1-7
When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go
and anoint the body. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They
were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they looked up, they noticed

Gospel: Jn 18:1—19:42*
When Jesus had finished speaking, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there.
which Jesus entered with his disciples. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, since Jesus had often met there with
his disciples. So Judas took soldiers and some servants from the chief priests and Pharisees, and they went to the garden with lanterns,

Gospel: Jn 13:1-15*
It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world
to the Father; and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love.
They were at supper, and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray
him. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as he had come from God, he was going to God.

Gospel: Mt 26:14-25
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “How much will you give
me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver; and from then on, he kept looking for the
best way to hand Jesus over to them. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came
to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to

Gospel: Jn 13:21-33, 36-38*
After saying this, Jesus was distressed in spirit, and said plainly, “Truly, one of you will betray me.” The disciples then looked at one
another, wondering whom he meant. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining near Jesus; so Simon Peter signaled him to ask
Jesus whom he meant. And the disciple, who was reclining near Jesus, asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “I shall dip a piece of

Gospel: Jn 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave
a dinner for him, and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume,
made from genuine spikenard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the

Gospel: Mk 14:1-15:47*
(…) Early in the morning, the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law (that is, the whole Council or Sanhedrin) had their plan ready. They put
Jesus in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.”
As the chief priests accused Jesus of many things, Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer at all? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus

Gospel: 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 together the Council. (...) Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was
High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 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 like a prophet that Jesus would die
for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die in order to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day
on, they were determined to kill him. Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the
country near the wilderness, and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from
everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselve before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the temple, they
talked with one another, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?” Meanwhile the chief priests and the elders had given orders
that anyone who knew where he was should let them know, so that they could arrest him.

Reflection:

The religious authorities are now perplexed at the mighty works that Jesus
performs. It attracted a great following. Soon the Roman conquerors will take notice
and perhaps suppress the Jesus movement. It bodes ill for the religious authorities.
It might destroy the status quo they have painstakingly cultivated with their foreign
occupiers. It is time to put a stop to what Jesus is doing. The funny thing is, they miss
the significance of Jesus’ actions. The messianic time is now unfolding before
their eyes. Their hopes and aspirations are now slowly realized in Jesus. Yet they
can only think of their own survival, of the preservation of their privileges and the
continuation of the business as usual collaboration with the foreign invaders. Thus,
they plotted to kill the bearer of their deepest wish. When personal good and wellbeing
is at stake, our minds become clouded and can not see clearly beyond our own
narrow interest.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2021

Gospel: 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