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Our Sunday Reflection - March 10, 2024
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God sent his son so that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:14-21
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Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
From the first days of creation, humans took advantage of their free will and sinned against God. But God so loved the world that God sent the Son to be born into the world, to suffer and die to atone once and for all for our sins, and to be raised up so that all may have eternal life. The Holy Spirit draws us here each week to allow us to express our love for God in the way that we worship God and the way that we treat each other. On this Laetare (“Rejoice!”) Sunday, we are reminded of God’s unparalleled love and mercy and ultimate purpose for us all.Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
Our readings today invite us to make a choice. Centuries before Christ, the people of Judah chose to turn away from God and Jerusalem was allowed to be destroyed. But the psalmist pleaded that the people never forget the holy city. Jesus tells Nicodemus that those who prefer darkness to light condemn themselves, but those who live in the truth come to the light, where we can do the good works that Paul says flow from God’s grace. May God’s word inspire us to live in the truth of our faith, where God offers us everlasting mercy and love.Reflections
- On Christmas Eve, we heard the prophet Isaiah’s words that a great light has come to shine through the darkness. We believe that light is Jesus, the Messiah, who came into the world on that holy night. Today we hear John say that some people preferred the darkness. After all, they were used to it. They didn’t have to worry about their actions in the darkness. They could do things that, if exposed to the light, would be seen as wrong. But we are called to value what is good and true and holy, and so we come to the light, to the Christ, so that our works may be seen, may be imitated, and may lead others to God.
- Nicodemus would be such an example. We hear Jesus address him in the Gospel today but what we don’t hear is that this monologue happens when Nicodemus comes to the Lord after night fell. Why did he come at night? Not because his works were evil, but because he was a member of the Sanhedrin and he feared that his position would be in danger if he was seen meeting with Jesus. So Jesus, the light of the world, was directly addressing him with his words. How did Nicodemus take Jesus’ challenge? Well, we will see Nicodemus again in a couple of weeks, on Good Friday. It is he and Joseph of Arimathea, both secretly disciples (not any of the Twelve) who dare to ask Pilate for permission to remove Jesus’ body from the cross, anoint it with myrrh, and bury it in a newly made tomb. “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his [or her] works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:21). Nicodemus chooses to live the truth and come to the light.
- While exiled in Babylon, the Chosen People found it challenging to continue to worship the LORD and live holy lives. Whether out of fear or shame or convenience, many people chose to forget their faith as they tried to survive in a pagan land. But not the faithful ones. Hence the psalmist plaintively recalling their native land, even as their songs and memories are fading.
Question of the Week
Am I willing to live out my faith in the light of day, even when it makes me uncomfortable because I am ridiculed or rejected by much of society?
-from Pastoral Patterns
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readings of the mass
LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, March 10, 2024
SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, March 10, 2024
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Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS -
Reflections on the readings
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