Fourth Sunday of Lent: March 22, 2009

Sometimes the aches and pains of life look like God’s punishment being visited upon a person, a group, or even all of us. That was the way the defeat of Israel to the Babylonians was being interpreted…then…all of a sudden, freedom was restored by the Persians. So, maybe it wasn’t punishment! In fact, of all the “peoples” and “religions” of the time in Levant, only Judaism continues to today. So, maybe what looked like punishment was really a “life-line.” That’s why St. Paul tells us that God’s #1 quality is MERCY. John’s Gospel illustrates God’s mercy by predicting the “lifting up” of Christ on the Cross. So, our Lenten Passage is NOT about avoiding God’s wrath—rather, it is about being comprehended and embraced by God’s love. This is a message we never hear often enough. So, let’s rejoice in it on this Laetare Sunday.