Sunday, March 10, 2024

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

(II Chronicles 16:14-16,19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21)

All of us recognize the gospel today. It contains perhaps the most revered verse in the entire Bible: “…God so loved the world that he gave it his only Son…” The words comfort us like when we hear our teacher say, “You are intelligent.” . But do we really believe that God loves us? Many do not, and for this reason they do not care whether they please God. They do whatever they like. Saint John Paul II said: “The first task of every Christian is to accept the love of God.” If we are to have a spiritual life that is truly Christian, we must take this principle to heart.

Because Jesus reveals the love of God, the gospel recognizes him as “the light of the world.” Light is so basic that Genesis says God made light on the first day of creation. Throughout the Bible we see the light doing at least two things. First, it fosters life. Although Bible times did not know about photosynthesis, they surely understood that plants do not grow without light. Animals live on plants, including human animals. The light of Jesus Christ goes beyond fostering physical life. It leads us to eternal life, which is endless happiness.

Light also allows us to see. The intense light in the surgery room allows surgeons to perform delicate operations. In a similar way, “the light of the world” enables us to know the truth of our existence. Loved by God, we are developing into His authentic daughters and sons. The light of truth teaches us how to prepare for eternal life.

Love cost God to allow his own son to be crucified. Love cost Jesus Christ to die in an atrocious way. And love is going to cost us too. When we love, we become vulnerable. We will spend our resources for the beloved. We remember Mother Teresa of Calcutta as one of the most loving people of our time. But she did not appear particularly beautiful. Mother Teresa spent her resources—her time and energy—on the poor. She didn't take time to go to the beauty salon.

We are also vulnerable because the beloved may reject our offers. The first reading tells the sad story of Israel rejecting God's offer to be his chosen people. The nation committed infidelities, imitated the vices of her neighbors, and even desecrated God’s Temple. You can see similar evils among Catholics today. Certainly the abuse of children by priests serves as a primary example. One can also mention the drop in worship at Sunday Mass and the cohabitation of unmarried couples.

The gospel emphasizes that Jesus does not condemn but saves. He has come not as a judge but as a teacher instructing how to truly love. Even more importantly, he has sacrificed his life to make us acceptable to God the Father. If we are condemned, we have condemned ourselves by preferring the lights of the world to the light of life and truth. In other words, we have imitated the world by loving ourselves rather than loving God and neighbor.  We have the rest of Lent to correct this error. If we find ourselves reluctant to fast, slow to pray, and lax in charity, we should double our efforts now. May these practices put us squarely in the light of Christ.

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