On this Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, the readings show that people are searching for answers about who Jesus is. 

In the first reading, people see God, the Father, as a “just” master – one who takes vengeance on those who do wrong.

In the Responsorial Psalm, people see God, the Father, as a “protector” – one who punishes the wrong doer and shelters the person who is unjustly accused.

In the Gospel, people argue about who Jesus is.  Certainly he is someone special:  “This must be the Prophet….”  “He is the Messiah.” Yet the people have differing opinions about Jesus.  The narrator states: “In this fashion the crowd was sharply divided over him.”

The people are trying to see if Jesus matches their expectations of the Messiah.  They go to the Scriptures and oral traditions to look for the signs of the Special One.

Don’t we do the same thing today?  Don’t we look for cues as to who/where Jesus is among us?

We have preconceived ideas of where we should find Jesus is in our society, our relationships, in the leaders in our community and the world.  Somehow Jesus always surprises us.  He is in the people and places we would least expect. 

This Lenten time is a good space for us to discern where God is in our life. 

Lord, help us continue to look for you in our lives – in our relationships in our families, at work, and in our communities.  Help us be open to find you in the places we expect and don’t expect.  Help us welcome you in our lives as we find you.

Give us this special grace -- To Find God in All Things.