Good morning, good people. May the Lord grant you grace and peace in the Holy Spirit.
It is 10th March 2024. We reflect on Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; and John 3:14-21.
As we enter the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to rejoice
We celebrate The Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday. Today, we pass the mid-term of the season of Lent. As we enter the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to rejoice. Hence, this Sunday is traditionally called Laetarae Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing.
During the last three weeks of Lent, we were reflecting intensely on penance, prayer, almsgiving, and sacrifices.
Even though the legitimate pleasures of life are sacrificed, we begin to deprive ourselves of something we liked most for the sake of those who have nothing at all and for our personal sins.
The moment of grace and mercy is the central theme of the week, offering us to reflect and to root ourselves in the forgiveness and mercy of God. God’s love for us is assured through so many people in our lives.
We are happiest when God is the center of our life
We all reach the optimum level of happiness in life only when God is the center of our life, and the meaning of our existence is to be at the beck and call of others.
In the First reading, we reflect on the abounding mercy and compassion of God shown through the instrumentality of King Cyrus of Persia to help build the temple ruined by the sins and selfishness of the people. God sends help from Heaven when we are broken and lost, thinking there is no help possible from anywhere.
In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that God brings God’s people back to Him just because of the richness of God’s mercy revealed through His Only Begotten Son Jesus.
We are saved by His grace and mercy and there is no one to take credibility for our salvation except God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph.2:9).
The Psalm is the hymn of those in exile interceding: “Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!” (Ps.137:6).
The Gospel assures our salvation through Jesus Christ. Our faith and good works must prove that we believe in Jesus and our light shines in the darkness around us.
We can set the world on fire only when we have the love of Jesus in our hearts.
John 3:16 is the miniature of the Gospel and the Gospel of all the Gospel in a nutshell form.
In a village parish, the parish priest after reading the Gospel of John (John 3:14-21), invited a 75-year-old man to come forward to share the reflection on the Gospel. He started his reflection by sharing a true incident from his life. His wife passed away after the birth of his only son. When the boy was eight years old, he brought his friend and told his father to take them in his boat to have a ride to enjoy the beauty of the river. Unfortunately, there was a great storm in the river. The father tried helping the boys to reach the shore. But he could only save one. When he had the option to save only one, he decided to let go of his son and save his friend’s son. Hearing the story, there were a lot of voices heard saying that it was not possible to let go. In answer to them all, the old man said that the father of the boy was none other than him. The friend of his is none other than the Parish Priest who invited him to share the reflection. The entire church was astonished and gave a long-standing applause.
Nicodemus who visited Jesus in the night was enlightened by the ever-shining light of Jesus. To embrace light, we must come out of the deeds and shades of darkness.
“For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (Jn.3:20,21).
Jesus is the light of our lives. We can set the world on fire only when we have the love of Jesus in our hearts.
May we believe in His mercy and love and share and show the same in our deeds.
May you have a good day.
God bless you.
Fr. Peter Fernando, OFMCap.
Director, Office of Family Ministry, Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (AVOSA).Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.♣Website:https://reflectionsofpeter.org/.♣Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samarpet