Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

“Jesus by the Sea” by Alexandre Bida, 1850s

Readings for Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Commentary:

During the Fourth Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

Reading I: Isaiah 65:17-21

Commentary on Is 65:17-21

The Prophet Isaiah envisions the “new Jerusalem” with the return of the captives from exile. The beatific vision of the perfection brought forth by the return to God is later echoed as the vision of the eternal Kingdom of God. It is not by human ingenuity that this is accomplished but by the will of God.

"Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, 'new heavens and a new earth' (2 Peter 3:13; cf. Revelation 21:1). It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head 'all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth' (Ephesians 1:10). In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away' (Revelation 21:4)." [4]

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12a, 13b

Psalm 30 is an individual hymn of praise. In this selection we find the singer praising God for deliverance. In the second part, others are asked to join in the hymn and then there is a return to thanks and praise in the final strophe. The image of resurrection is clearly evident in the first strophe: “O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.”

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Gospel: John 4:43-54

Commentary on Jn 4:43-54

This selection from St. John’s Gospel is the story of Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee and the second sign of his messianic identity. Here we find the life-giving word of Jesus being displayed. Jesus challenges the official asking for his aid: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The official's faithful response provides the setting.  Jesus tells him: “You may go; your son will live.” This statement coincides with the healing that occurred some distance away.

We note that of the 37 miracles documented in the Gospels (not including the conversion of St. Paul documented in the Acts of the Apostles), this occurrence and the healing of the daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30)  are the only healing miracles done at a distance.  This is important in that it shows that Christ’s will is omnipresent, that is, he can direct the love of God to any place he chooses.

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Reflection:

We have seen the need for on-going conversion throughout this Lenten season. We are constantly reminded that we need to have faith, and faith, we are told, can do amazing things. The lack of it can also be devastating.

A few years ago an old friend who has a parish in the Lansing area called me and asked if I could run over and see the son of one of his parishioners who was gravely ill at the University of Michigan Medical Center. The man, in his early 50’s, was suffering from hepatitis and his liver was failing. In short, without a liver transplant, his prospects were grim. He was divorced and had a young family with 3 sons ranging from 8 to 15 years old who lived with him.

When I got to his room it was clear he was in trouble. Not just because his illness was really causing him discomfort, but because he was alone, and I don’t mean because there was no one in his room. You see, many years ago, this man had lost his faith and did not have anything to support him now. I asked him how he was doing and his first words to me were: “I am afraid.”

I need to tell you, I was taken aback. Some of you know that several years ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I went through many tests and ended up in the operating room at the same hospital where I visited the liver patient. I can tell you truthfully the one emotion I never felt was fear, even when two very senior docs at the university told me my prospects were not good. I felt regret, I even felt some anger. I figured that it was my pipe smoking that had gotten me there and I was angry that I had not quit years ago. But, I was not afraid. You see, in spite of my constant battle to find faith, when I was confronted with a potentially devastating situation, faith was just… there. God buoyed me up. He gave me the strength to be an example to others, even as I struggled to overcome the weakness the inflammatory pseudo-tumor (that’s how it was finally diagnosed – it’s another story and my miracle) caused me discomfort.

I was at peace. I was confident that, whatever happened, it would be God’s will. It was this sense of peace I tried to give the man at the hospital that night (and again the following morning). I told him, in much the same way the Lord told the official in Galilee, that he needed to let go of his fear and give it to God. God was there with him, just as surely as I was there with him. Michael (that was his name) told me that, while he did not go to church, he talked to God all the time. But it was clear from his state of mind that talking to God is not making a commitment to God and that talking to God did not mean listening to what God had to say to him.

We pray for Michael. He miraculously got his transplant and made a good recovery. However, two years later, that same man lost two of his three sons in a car accident. God tests the faith he gives.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “Jesus by the Sea” by Alexandre Bida, 1850s.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p.279

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Catechism Links[1]

CCC 1439, 1465, 1481, 1700, 2839: The prodigal son

CCC 207, 212, 214: God is faithful to his promises

CCC 1441, 1443: God pardons sin and restores the sinner to the community

CCC 982: The door of pardon is open to all who repent

CCC 1334: Israel’s daily bread was the fruit of the promised land

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” 
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1636

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent [2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)

Commentary:

Today in the Church those who are participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) will begin a series of Scrutinies. Options are offered for today’s Mass Celebration.  The “Cycle A” readings may be used.  Also, the first reading from the Cycle A readings may be used in place of Reading 1 below.  A Cycle A  post is provided for those choosing this option.

Reading I: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

Commentary on Jos 5:9a, 10-12

Joshua, the successor of Moses, is leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. In this passage the people have reached the land and are beginning to prosper from it. We are told that the people celebrate the Passover, probably relating to the obscure reference in the first verse “Today I have removed the reproach [shame] of Egypt;” the promise of the Lord is fulfilled; the land he promised is given. At that point the Lord withdrew the manna he had been providing, as the people now had the land to supply all their needs.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Psalm 34 sings a song of salvation at the hands of the Lord. It tells of God’s love for those who serve him. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom.

The psalmist sings of God’s mercy and salvation, in reference to the promise made to the people of a land flowing with milk and honey.  From a more prophetic perspective we also have an image of Christ in the Eucharist, the taste of God’s mercy.

CCC: Ps 34:3 716

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Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Commentary on 2 Cor 5:17-21

St. Paul begins this passage with an image of Baptism (“Whoever is in Christ is a new creation”) which is how we are reconciled to God through Christ. He (God) goes on using Christ as the tool for the remission of sin (trespasses) and using Christians to spread that word to the world. The evangelist  then continues to exhort the Corinthians. He calls them to faithfulness, to be reconciled with God in Christ because of Jesus’ great sacrifice for us all.

CCC: 2 Cor 5:17 1214, 1265; 2 Cor 5:17-18 1999; 2 Cor 5:18-21 2844; 2 Cor 5:18 981, 1442, 1461; 2 Cor 5:19 433, 620; 2 Cor 5:20 859, 1424, 1442; 2 Cor 5:21 602

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Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Commentary on Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

The topic of repentance and forgiveness comes to a climax with St. Luke’s Parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the two “Parables of Mercy” found in this section.  The parables distill the essence of the Good News. Found only in St. Luke’s Gospel, the imagery is instantly clear that this is to be an analogy. The father in the story represents God and the Prodigal Son followers of Christ, when they repent their sins. Interestingly, the older brother also represents Christians when they do not forgive those who have also sinned. We are given the picture of the loving father welcoming his son home, an allusion used also in the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7). The invitation implicit is that those who seek forgiveness find it in God.

"Although the word 'mercy' does not appear, this parable nevertheless expresses the essence of the divine mercy in a particularly clear way" (St. John Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia", 5).

CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk 15:1-2 589; Lk 15:11-32 545, 2839; Lk 15:11-31 1700; Lk 15:11-24 1439; Lk 15:18 1423, 2795; Lk 15:21 2795; Lk 15:23-32 589; Lk 15:32 1468

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Reflection:
Today we take a step back from our penitential discipline, adding festive white to our Lenten purple.  It is difficult to maintain our penitential attitude without lapsing into gloom, so today we rejoice.  We rejoice because the love of God is so clearly proclaimed.

From the beginning of the human experience of God we find that critical element of love, forgiveness.  We recognize that God’s forgiveness transcends the usual definition we normally use when we use the term.  When God forgives, as we see in the first reading from Joshua, he accepts completely those who have sinned against him, even the sins that were repeated countless times.  We heard in Joshua: “No longer was there manna for the Israelites.”  Remember God provided manna because they had challenged God, even rebuking him for leading them into the wilderness (forgetting that it was from hard bondage they were being led).  Still he fulfilled his promise.  Time and again, like ungrateful children, God’s cherished children have turned away from him and still he welcomes them back, loving them.

Forgiveness is also at the heart of our adoption as God’s heirs through baptism.  God’s Only Begotten Son, Jesus, offered himself as a sacrifice, taking onto himself our sins, so that the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven, closed by our fall from grace due to Adam’s Original Sin, might be opened.  Christ died in the ultimate act of forgiveness.

Finally we are offered the parable of the Return of the Prodigal Son.  In this story, one of the three “Mercy Parables,” we understand forgiveness at a very personal level.  It is a story we can all relate to since we live that same story over and over in our own lives.  There is a compelling statement found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that expresses our journey beautifully.  Paragraph # 1439 states:

“The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's joy — all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life — pure, worthy, and joyful — of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.”

What better way to celebrate God's mercy than to contemplate our own constant struggle to return to our Heavenly Father?  We see in the prodigal’s return our own attempt to embrace all the Father hopes for us.  We know what he has called us to.  We have heard it in simple terms countless times: Love God and love one another.  We know the Great Commandment and we know how many times we have failed to keep it.  Yet we rejoice remembering all those times God has demonstrated his love for us.  He loved the stiff-necked Hebrew people who rejected him in the wilderness.  He cherished St. Paul who persecuted the followers of God’s Son.  And through the words of the Gospel he reminds us that we may always come home to him.

Perhaps the hardest part about understanding God’s love and forgiveness is the knowledge that we are called to be like him in his mercy.  We too are called to love others, even others who hate us.  The part we play is not just the returning son in the story of the Prodigal Son; we are also the elder brother who became upset at his father’s forgiveness. 

Today we rejoice in the Father’s relentless love that allows us to experience his forgiveness.  We recognize that we too are called to forgive others.  It is this call to constant conversion that drives us forward on a journey to our loving father who will welcome us into his loving arms.

Pax

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.

[2] The picture is “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1636.

[3] S.S. Commemoratio

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

During the Third Week of Lent (especially in cycles B and C when the Gospel of the man born blind is not read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent) optional Mass Texts are offered.

“The Pharisee and the Publican” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

Readings for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent [1]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading I: Hosea 6:1-6

Commentary on Hos 6:1-6

Hosea portrays the people of Israel as the faithless harlot. Repenting past sins she thinks to return to God who will raise Israel up to salvation after three days in the tomb. The image prefigures the messiah. The prophet continues with the voice of God. Recognizing their faithlessness, he calls for authentic love, not empty sacrifices.

CCC: Hos 6:1-6 2787; Hos 6:2 627; Hos 6:6 589, 2100

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab

R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Commentary on Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
The psalm response is taken from the end of Hosea. The psalm itself is a lament, asking God for compassion as a consequence of the baptismal bath (“Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.”). It then echoes the need for the spirit of authentic worship, not empty sacrifices.

CCC: Ps 51:19 1428, 2100

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Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Commentary on Lk 18:9-14

The Gospel story is the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (tax collector). Here we find Jesus addressing those who think of themselves as closer to God, and therefore better than those who are not so scrupulous in their worship. It is the second of two consecutive parables on prayer. In this one, the Lord takes a critical stance against the prideful Pharisee, telling his disciples that, like the tax collector, their prayer must recognize that all have sinned and all must be humble before God. The parable carries a message and image similar to the earlier parable (Luke 7:36-50) where Christ forgives the sinful woman in the house of Simon.

Jesus points out that the Pharisee, who focuses on pious acts to demonstrate his own holiness, misses the point of God’s desire for authentic worship, while the humility and authenticity of the ax collector will be “justified.” It is easier to hear in the Jerusalem Bible version which says; “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not.”

CCC: Lk 18:9-14 2559, 2613; Lk 18:9 588; Lk 18:13 2631, 2667, 2839

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Reflection:

The readings, starting with Hosea, moving through Psalm 51, and concluding with the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican from St. Luke’s Gospel have one focal theme. The Lord wants BELIEF, not just a demonstration.

There is a temptation that we may experience at this point in our Lenten journey. For those of us who have been faithful to the discipline of Lent, it is easy to look at what we have done to this point with a sense of accomplishment. We have, after all, been rigorous in observing meatless Fridays. We have stalwartly maintained our self-denial (holding fast to what we “gave up” for Lent). We may have attended Stations of the Cross each Friday or some other part of a self-imposed discipline. Having done these things, it is easy to look back at three weeks of “holiness” and say, “How good am I? I’m so much better than those who have fallen away, or than those who are so casual about their faith that they do not even observe the Lenten fast.” Placing the reminder of the need for humility contained in scripture at this point in our journey was a stroke of genius by the compilers of the Roman Missal.

What we do for the sake of our faith must be done for God and God alone. It should not be done for others to see. We should not be tempted to the sins of pride or vanity because we have been given the gift of religious freedom and the luxury of time to be able to follow the discipline of our faith.

Our worship must be for the greater glory of God and with a clear recognition that it is with the utmost humility that we should approach the Lord of the Universe. We who claim to know Him best through our prayer and devotion should be the most awed by his beneficence, not believing we have some special insight and privilege to God’s favor.

When we start feeling “full of ourselves,” let us remember how far we have to travel to reach the level of understanding of the Saints whom we hope to join one day. We leave you today with the words of Saint Augustine, quoted by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his encyclical Spe Salvi:

“The turbulent have to be corrected, the faint-hearted cheered up, the weak supported; the Gospel's opponents need to be refuted, its insidious enemies guarded against; the unlearned need to be taught, the indolent stirred up, the argumentative checked; the proud must be put in their place, the desperate set on their feet, those engaged in quarrels reconciled; the needy have to be helped, the oppressed to be liberated, the good to be encouraged, the bad to be tolerated; all must be loved”.

“The Gospel terrifies me”[4]

Pax

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[1] The picture is “The Pharisee and the Publican” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN.

[2] S.S. Commemoratio

[4] Sermo 340, 3: PL 38, 1484; cf. F. Van der Meer, Augustine the Bishop, London and New York 1961, p.268.