Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54)
All human life has dignity.
Ergo, euthanasia is wrong. But letting
live only begins to respect life. Life must
be assisted so that it may develop and prosper.
This is the whole point of Easter as the readings during this second
half of Lent will testify.
In today’s first reading the prophet promises a new
earth. It will be a place of joy. There will be no premature death. Indeed, at a hundred years old, a person will
be considered young. The gospel shows
Jesus enabling the dying son of the royal official to live. His miraculous cure is called a “sign.” It signifies that Jesus has come to give
eternal life to those who believe in him.
We should note a very different tenor in the mass readings of the second half of Lent. They no longer call for repentance and penance. Rather, they emphasize the fullness of life God bestows through His Son. Easter will soon be here. We will leave behind our sins and worries. It is almost time for us to rejoice.
