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.
