March 11, 2018

4^th Sunday of Lent “Laetare Sunday” (B)

“The way to Heaven—
Shun the Darkness and Walk in the Light”

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

The first word of our Entrance Antiphon from the Prophet Isaiah gives today its name: “Laetare Sunday,” which is Latin for “Rejoice Sunday.” Midway through Lent, the Church would have us anticipate a bit of joy as we draw closer to Easter. This is reflected in the readings and prayers, the altar flowers and the rose colored vestments.
 
In the Gospel we meet Nicodemus. He was not just “one of the crowd. We could say “He was a big deal” or as the Italians would put it, “un pezzo grosso” (a big shot). Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a religious leader, a member of the Sanhedrin, an intellectual. He and Jesus have a conversation about faith—we hear in the Gospel only the second part of that conversation. We might call their meeting, the first “Late Nite Catechism.”
 
Jesus says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” It is a phrase that is often quoted and that has even been put to music since it reveals what God wants for us. What is this “divine desire?”—not that we perish or that we be condemned, but that we might be saved! God desires our salvation! What a comforting image of God!
 
While the Lord says, “As I live says the Lord God…I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man but that he should turn to me and live.” (Ez 33:11), Jesus tells Nicodemus that there are, in fact, those who “prefer darkness to light”; that is to say, there are those who would prefer to live apart from God, to live as if God did not exist.
 
I think it is safe to assume that if we occupy these pews every week, our desire is to go to heaven. Perhaps not quite yet, not this afternoon or tomorrow. But we do want to go, yet what are we expecting?
                     
Two buddies Kevin and Jeff were avid, nearly fanatical baseball fans. In fact, they agreed that whoever died first would come back and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One night Kevin passed away in his sleep after watching the Yankees victory earlier in the evening. He died happy. The next night, Jeff awoke to the sound of Kevin’s voice from beyond. "Kevin is that you?" Jeff asked. "Of course it's me," Kevin replied. "This is unbelievable!" Jeff exclaimed. "So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?" "Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that, yes, there is baseball in heaven, Jeff." "That’s great, Kevin… so what could possibly be the bad news?" "You're pitching tomorrow night."
 
We all have our images of heaven. But this is not heaven. It is too great for our human mind to grasp. When St. Paul tried to describe it, he could only say, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the mind of man, what God has prepared for those who love him!”
 
Whether or not I enter into that glory is my choice. God will respect my freedom and he will not interfere with my choices. As our Lord says, some prefer the darkness to the light. But how does that happen?
 
Throughout the Gospels we are told that it happens, subtly and slowly, comparing it to sleep. This is why the Lord exhorts us so frequently to “be alert,” “stay awake,” “Be attentive,” “Be ready.”
 
When we go to sleep, we drift off to another place, we disconnect (Like right now!). And this can happen in our life of faith. We drift off, becoming less reflective, less discerning about what we see and hear. We ask: “Do I really need to go to Mass? Do I really need to pray? Why should I forgive that person who so badly hurt me? We say, “Living together before marriage is not wrong, in fact, it’s good...everyone does it.” “Do I need to go to confession? I am just fine. I haven’t murdered anyone and besides, I’m a senior citizen!” Ah…this is a movement from the light into the darkness. Strange thinking begins to take over…thoughts that are distant from the Gospel. We begin to rationalize and excuse our behavior. What God calls bad we call good.
 
So on this Laetare Sunday we receive a wakeup call…a challenge to be alert, stay awake, to make the right choices, the best choices, Gospel choices, life giving choices. “Jesus saves” but we must be alert enough to prefer his light and shun the darkness.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Second scrutiny

Fr. Jean Félicien

On this Sunday we celebrate the second scrutiny and the Church welcomes catechumens who are to be admitted to the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist). These men and women who are joining the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil rely on our prayers and our spiritual support so that they can persevere throughout this faith journey.
 
Soon they will be part of Christ’s Body, the Church. This Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday during which we are invited to rejoice in the Lord for showing us his love and mercy. As the loving people of God, there are many reasons for us to rejoice today even though soon we will have to commemorate the Passion and death of our Lord. Along with the catechumens let us rejoice for having responded to the call of God. It is the moment of rejoicing because Jesus Christ has paid the price of our sins by his suffering and death on the Cross. Let us rejoice because God has shown us the immensity of his love and mercy as he lays down his life for our sake and for our salvation.
 
When we see the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, we begin to ask how great is the Love of our God! How immense is the mercy of the Heart of Jesus! For this reason, from time to time we should follow the invitation of Isaiah whose voice cries out during the time of the exile saying: “rejoice Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.”
 
The first reading taken from the first book of Samuel tells about David whom God has anointed as king over Israel. In the eyes of man, David wasn’t the favorite one to be chosen as king because he did not have the kingly appearance. He was too thin and even his brothers mocked him for his look. As we know God does not judge by appearance, he chose David over the other brothers and he made him king in Israel.

One way or the other, we are all being called in our baptism to walk into the light that Jesus has given us. “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life." The sacred anointing that we receive in baptism makes us disciples of the light as well as king, prophet and priest just as Christ.
 
Today’s gospel begins with an encounter between Jesus and a blind beggar. As Jesus met this man born blind, he was moved with pity for him; Jesus touches the blind man and he was able to recover his sight.
 
Like the man in today’s gospel, we are all beggars, and once we were blind before we have seen the light. So, this Lent, ask yourself: what am I begging for? Maybe we are begging for compassion. Maybe we are begging for mercy or peace of mind. We maybe we are also hungry for love. But in the middle of our begging, in the middle of our darkness, Christ touches us — and our world is flooded with light.
 
This morning, we pray for the grace to see more clearly, to understand more deeply, to live more faithfully. And we join our prayers in a special way with those of the elect before us, the men and women of the RCIA process. Together, we come before God, hands outstretched, asking to have our hungers satisfied, our yearnings fulfilled – asking God to give us what He knows we need.
“We are all beggars before the Lord.”

In these final weeks of Lent, let us pray to be open to what He has to give – to let Him touch us, and flood our lives with light.