“WARM WITH GOD’S LOVE”
Lenten Reflections
11thMarch 2018.
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SUNDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
Reading 1: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23 It was because of their sins that God allowed his people to be exiled to Babylon. But his mercy is seen in their home-coming.
Res. Psalm: Ps 137:1-6 “O let my tongue cleave to my mouth, if I remember you not.”
Reading 2: Eph 2:4-10 St. Paul gives the theology of redemption: It is not through our own efforts that we are saved but through the love and mercy of God. This is not your own doing; it is God’s gift.
Gospel:Jn 3:14-21 John speaks about the Father’s great love for us. This love is so great that he sent his Son into our world, not to condemn us, but to save us and to be the light of our lives.
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FOR GOD SENT HIS SON…
The fourth Sunday of Lent is rather unique; like the third Sunday of Advent ("Gaudete Sunday"), the fourth Sunday of Lent is a break in an otherwise penitential season. The vestments for this day will be rose, as they are on Gaudete Sunday in Advent, and flowers may adorn the Altar. This day is called "Laetare Sunday" (also "Rose Sunday" ), and takes its name from the opening words of the Mass, "Laetare, Jerusalem": Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. Today the liturgy invites us to be full of joy, for God the Father, gives us his Son…the Joy, which the world was awaiting…and still awaits. So…Rejoice…
It is true that during Lent we are invited to be conscious of our sinfulness and to arrive at repentance and transformation. But we will miss the whole point, if we do not situate it in the context of God's love and his desire to save each and all of us. "For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through him the world might be saved, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Today’s gospel passage offers a simple but clear summary of the entire Gospel. It reveals to us four basic truths: First, the Father in Heaven loves us. We know this but we will never fully comprehend the depth of this truth. God the Father loves us with a profound and perfect love. It’s a love that is deeper than anything else we could ever experience in life. His love is perfect.
Second, the Father’s love was made manifest by the gift of His Son Jesus. It is a profound act of love for the Father to give us His Son. The Son meant everything to the Father, and the gift of the Son to us means that the Father gives us everything. He gives His very life to us in the Person of Jesus.
Third, the only appropriate response we can make to such a gift is faith. We must believe in the transforming power of accepting the Son into our lives. We must see this gift as a gift that gives us all we need. We must accept the Son into our lives by believing in His mission and giving our lives to Him in return.
Fourth, the result of receiving Him and giving our lives in return is that we are saved. We will not perish in our sin; rather, we will be given eternal life. There is no other way to salvation than through the Son. We must know, believe, accept and embrace this truth.
St Therese of Child Jesus used to be agonized over her faults, and worried endlessly about offending God. Then at a Retreat it dawned on her: "Jesus has no need of our works but only of our love". This realization illumined her tortured soul, filling her with peace. She was only to be herself - weak, fragile and a 'little child' - giving herself wholly like a child to God's merciful love. St Paul puts it: "It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, not by anything of your own but by a gift from God".
As we enter this stage of our Lenten journey of faith, we must consider: How could God be so good to me, that he gave his only son? No condemnation on his part but only the desire to save. How wonderful, if only the world (I and you) would believe in this love! Like St Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus, I need to learn to fall into the hands of our loving God. Like Jesus himself, Son and Savior, I must allow myself to be lifted up so that I play my part in my salvation.
Prayer: Lord, I offer myself to you as a little child to my Father. Amen.
Lenten Act: JOHN 3:16. Read this passage over and over and memorize it. Savor every word and know that in embracing this Scripture you are embracing the entire truth of God.