Thursday, March 19, 2026

 

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(II Samuel 7:4a-5.12-14a.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:18.18-21.24a)

In today’s gospel Joseph has a dilemma on his hands.  According to the Law, Mary should be put to death for seemingly having relations with another man while betrothed to Joseph.  But Joseph is “a righteous man”, who pursues the purpose of the Law.  As Jesus will tell the Pharisees later in the Gospel, that purpose is to exhibit “justice, mercy, and faithfulness.” Although the text does not say so directly, Joseph resolves his dilemma with prayer.  As righteous, Joseph constantly prays.  Moreover, he is obviously in touch with the Lord when the angel intermediary tells him to take Mary into his home. 

For the last three decades a dilemma has been building in the United States.  Millions of immigrants live here illegally.  Righteous Americans know that just laws must be obeyed.  They also realize that many of the undocumented have contributed significantly to the common good and have little to return to in their native countries.  Lawmakers should seek God’s help in forging a just resolution to the crisis.

All of us face similar situations from time to time.  We need to do what is right and to show love for neighbor.  Prudence will move us to ask the Lord for guidance.  Under the Spirit’s direction we will make decisions that result in the good of all involved.   

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30)

A lawyer and his ten-year-old son regularly attended Sunday Mass together.  The two were noticeable especially when they stood for the gospel.  Both looked intently at the missalette in his hand as they followed the reading of the deacon.  The boy was imitating his father.  In today’s gospel Jesus defends his healing on the Sabbath as likewise doing what his Father does.

As if he were on trial, Jesus is answering the accusations of the Jews.  He says that he does what and when he does because he is learning from his Father.  Since his Father heals, he heals.  Since his Father does so on the Sabbath, so does he.  In a sense, Jesus is on trial.  In the Gospel of John, unlike the other gospels, there is no judicial process before the Sanhedrin on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. John chooses instead to have “the “Jews” force Jesus to defend himself at various points in his Gospel.  He is accused of crimes like working on the Sabbath and planning to tear down the Temple.  Despite the coherence of Jesus’ defense, the Jews will press Pilate to execute him.

Jesus came among us to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah in today’s first reading.  He is the favored Son of God sent to heal the wounds of the world.  The very Jews, who accuse him in the gospel, are the first beneficiaries of his coming.  But the rest of the world follows in far greater numbers.  We will bear witness to Jesus’ healing in the coming weeks.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 47:1-9.12; John 5:1-16)

A few Christians may think of the Jerusalem Temple as a place of worthless sacrifice and false piety. Jesus did predict its destruction, and three gospels tell of its veil being sundered at Jesus’ death.  However, Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles along with most of Scripture see the Temple in a positive light.  Today’s reading from Ezekiel tells why. The Temple has served for centuries as a font of life-giving grace.

Nevertheless, today gospel testifies that Jesus replaces the Temple as the source of grace.  He restores health to the sick man who has long waited in vain at the Temple’s gate.  Jesus shows himself to be living water more effective than the Temple’s.  He bestows life in abundance.

Rather than dwell on the shortcomings of the Temple, we should see it as a provisional measure.  In it God prepared Israel for the coming of His Son.  The animal holocausts offered there for the forgiveness of sins help us appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  The beauty and magnificence of its structure bespoke God’s presence.  Now we find God’s integral presence in His Son.

Monday, March 16, 2026

 Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

 (Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54)

 The “Age of Aquarius” portends the dawn of an age of peace based on astrological signs.  Some believed it arrived in the 1960s and 1970s with the hippie culture.  But that peace has proved delusional perhaps because hippies did not ground their hope in righteous living.  The readings today proclaim a more credible age of fulfillment with Jesus.

 In the first reading the prophet Isaiah announces that God is about to create something wonderful.  There will be no more fleeing one’s land because of war or famine.  Rather people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of the gardens they plant.  They will survive well beyond a hundred years because of their righteousness.

 We find the completion of this prophecy in Jesus.  As the gospel indicates, he restores health to those who believe in him.  Of course, we need to ask, “Why do not people live forever?”  But don’t we share that hope in Jesus?  Just as he rose from the dead to live in glory, we -- his followers – expect to enjoy eternal life without discomfort or distress.

Sunday, March 15, 2026

 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
(1 Samuel 16:1-6, 10-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41)

The Gospel of John is full of drama. Several times in the narrative Jesus encounters different people in order to lead them to his Father. Last Sunday we heard about his successful encounter with the Samaritan woman. But he is not always successful. When he meets Pilate on the day of his crucifixion, the governor is intrigued by his words, but in the end he rejects him for political convenience.

Today we hear about Jesus’ encounter with the man born blind. It is a first-class drama. In fact, it is often considered one of the best-constructed narratives in the entire Gospel.  It stands out because of its well-developed plot. With its twists and turns we see the man gradually growing in faith in Jesus. At the same time, the Pharisees gradually lose their faith in him. The loss is tragic because it will deprive the Pharisees of eternal life.

The reading begins with Jesus curing the man born blind by putting mud on his eyes. The healing causes so much discussion among the neighbors that they ask the man whether he is really the one who had been blind and how he was healed. The man replies that yes, he was blind, and that he was cured by “the man called Jesus.”

Amazed by what he says, the neighbors bring the man to the Pharisees to verify his account. After their investigation, the Pharisees are divided. Some say it is a legitimate healing—that is, something done by God—while others doubt it. When they ask the man how he received his sight, he again says that Jesus cured him, but this time he adds that Jesus is a prophet.

Then the Pharisees question the man’s parents whether he is truly their son and how it is that he now sees. They acknowledge that he is their son, but out of fear of the Pharisees they say they do not know how he was healed. They suggest asking him directly.

When they question him a second time, the Pharisees are no longer in doubt about Jesus. They all agree in saying that Jesus “is a sinner,” and they throw the man out for saying otherwise.

It is no coincidence that Jesus meets again the man born blind but now with perfect sight. He is the Good Shepherd who cares about mistreated sheep. When Jesus sees him, he asks whether he believes in the Son of Man, that is the one in the Book of Daniel who receives from God authority to judge the world. At first the man hesitates because he does not know whom Jesus is referring to. But once Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man, the man falls at his feet in worship.

Meanwhile the Pharisees are watching everything. They ask Jesus if they are blind. Jesus tells them that although they have sight, they do not see the truth. They walk in spiritual darkness that prevents them from recognizing what is truly good.

At the beginning of this drama Jesus calls himself “the light of the world.” Like every light, he creates shadows. The characters in the story must decide whether they want to live in the light by recognizing Jesus as Lord or in darkness by denying his authority.  The man born blind opts for the light of Christ, while the Pharisees choose the shadows by rejecting his lordship.

Every human person must make the same decision. Am I a person of the light of Christ, living according to every word that comes from his mouth? Or am I a person of the shadows who follows the leading “influencers” of the world of entertainment, sports, or the internet?  For our good and for the good of others, Jesus wants us to live in his light.