FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B

2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
Psalm  136:1-6
Ephesians 2: 4-10
John 3:14-21

LAETARE SUNDAY

The fourth Sunday of Lent is usually called "Laetare Sunday" or Sunday of rejoicing. Why rejoicing in this time of penance and regret of our sins? Because we serve a God who is patient and loving. He never gets tired of loving us despite our sinfulness and weaknesses; for He does not take pleasure in the death of the sinner.

Hence, the first reading tells us that the Lord, the God of Israel tirelessly sent his prophets to the Israelites. But the people did not listen to them. Thus, God delivered them in the hands of the Babylonians. They went to exile, a bitter experience in the history of the Israelites. Even then, God delivered them by raising king Cyrus of Persia to liberate them from exile. This is how loving, how forgiving our God is!

In the second reading, St Paul says that “God so loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy, when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ.” This is how immensely rich God’s saving grace is!

The gospel proclaims that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to us so that anyone who believes in him may be saved. He came not to condemn the world, but to save the world. To hepl us better appreciate the amazing grace and the love of God for us, Jesus makes a reference to the lifting up of the golden serpent by Moses in the desert (Num 21:6-9).

The serpent was a symbol of consolation and healing to the Israelites in thé desert. Jesus on the cross is the sign of our salvation, sign of God’s love for you and me. Yes, on that cross which is the emblem of humiliation and torture, death and condemnation, is found the emblem of love, forgiveness and liberation. By looking on the cross, we come to appreciate how our sins, transgressions and disobedience have nailed Jesus. We must believe in this love of Jesus and be obedient to his Word.
Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 94:1-2.6-9
1Corinthiand 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28

THE MOUTHPIECE OF GOD

God never ceases to speak to his people. He always chooses intermediaries  through whom he makes his will and word known to his people. In the first reading, He promised that he would raise a prophet like onto Moses to his people. Such prophet would be his mouthpiece. As such, the people must listen to him, just as they would listen to God Himself (Deut. 18:15-20).

Hence, the psalmist says: “O that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts”. For St Paul, we must give an undivided attention to God. We must devote ourselves to him alone and seek to please him in all things (1Cor. 7:32-35).

In the gospel reading, Jesus taught the people with authority unlike the scribes. His words made deep impression on his listeners, producing powerful effects of healing and deliverance of those possessed by the devil (Mark 1:21-28).

Jesus Christ remains the great prophet of all times. Nevertheless, he has given the authority to the Church to teach all nations. In this respect, two implications are worth noting. First, the Church must avoid the temptation of preaching herself or teaching something contrary to God’s Word. Second, we must listen to the Church, for she is the mouthspiece of the Lord.

Let’s ask ourselves: how do we pay attention to the teachings of our Pope, bishops and priests? How do we react to the interventions of our bishops in socio-political issues? Let’s remember what Jesus said: whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16).

May the Lord give us a listening ear and a docile heart so as to put his Word into practice.
Amen

4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B

2 Samuel 7:1-5.8-12.14.16
Psalm 88:2-5.27.29
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

The Uncovering of the Hidden Secret

The readings of this last Sunday of Advent speak of the fulfilment of God's promise to mankind. The hidden secret  has been revealed. God is going to take a human flesh of a woman, a Virgin from Nazareth.

In the first reading, king David wanted to build a tent for God. But God promised to build him a house, to establish for him an everlasting kingdom of peace and prosperity (2Sam. 7:1-5.8-12.14.16).

This promise made to king David finds its fulfillment in the Annunciation story. Per the announcement of the angel, Mary was to become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. And it was the Holy Spirit that would fecundate her virginal womb. The throne of his ancestor David would be given him.

Full of grace but also perplexed, Mary had a choice to make: to say “yes” or “no”. This choice could not be an easy one. She was very young, a virgin and had her own plans: to get married. But courageously, she said “yes” to God. She trusted God, with whom nothing is impossible. In saying “yes”, her trusting faith changed our story. With this “yes”, God became one of us. Here belies the greatness of Mary: by her “yes”, she became the Mother of God’s own Son (Luke 1:26-38).

Therefore, by Mary’s “yes” to God, the mystery kept secret for ages was revealed to us. God’s plan of our salvation became realized. This is the mystery that St Paul proclaims in the second reading (Rom. 16:25-27).

It could be observed that king David and the Virgin Mary had their own plans. But God had bigger plans for their lives. Thus, they allowed the will of God to be done. May we too learn to avail ourselves to God's will. Let each of us say a free, unconditional and courageous 'Yes' to God even if we must sacrifice our own plans.

Amen