Saturday of the Fifth Week in Lent

March 28, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Palm Sunday - Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 11; antiphon: Psalm 22:19, 21Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25; Mark 16:1-20“But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!” (Psalm 22:19)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The harvest full moon is one of creation's most profound optical illusions. As the moon comes up over the horizon, it looks daunting. The moon looks like it is bigger than the sun, and the red hue lights up the night sky. As the earth rotates and the moon rises in the sky, it begins to look smaller, and eventually, when the moon is at its peak, it looks like any other full moon on any given night. The optical illusion can be corrected by merely using your thumb extended in front of you as a point of reference when the moon is on the horizon and then again when the moon is at its peak. In both instances, the moon is the same size. It is not closer at the beginning and further away later in the night sky. The trials and tribulations of this world can make the Lord seem far away. The sinful nature can be deceitful and lead one to believe that God is present in our lives, and we have been left all alone. The feeling of solitude is where Satan, sin, and the world work to pull our eyes away from an ever-present God. In those trials and tribulations, we are left to our own rationalization, where despair can set in, and in that despair, hopelessness. God can seem very distant.Our God is not a distant God. He is not one who seems present and then appears far away. Our God is a God who is very present in our lives. In your Baptism, He has placed His name upon you. He has marked with the cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. Our God is present in the Sacrament of the Altar. He is not “represented” but sacramentally united in, with, and under the bread and wine. In faith, we receive His true body and true blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. His Holy Word in the Scriptures is a living, breathing document. The Scriptures are not just mere ink on paper but the Holy Word of God that reveals our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our God is not far off. He is an everlasting, ever-present God. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life through– Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious confidence. (LSB 585:6)