Archive for March 11th, 2024

God Loves You So Much

March 11, 2024

4th Sunday of Lent
by Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

The central theme of today’s readings is that our salvation is the gift of a merciful God, given to us through Jesus, His Son. The readings give importance to God’s mercy and compassion and remind us of His great love and kindness. As an act of love and gratitude to God, who is “rich in mercy,” and as an expression of our Faith, we are invited to share Jesus’ sufferings by doing penance during Lent so that we may inherit our eternal salvation and the glory of his Resurrection in Heaven.

In the first reading, we learn the compassion and patience of God. The reading shows us how the people’s infidelities also caused them to lose the Temple, their homeland, until they “came to their senses,” recognizing their sinfulness, and cried out to God for mercy. It was then God came to their rescue, choosing to work through the pagan king Cyrus. To return them to their homeland and to help them rebuild His Temple there. God chose Cyrus the Great, a pagan conqueror, to become the instrument of His mercy and salvation for His chosen people.

The second reading reminds us to focus on the mystery of salvation as a gift to sinners. St. Paul teaches us that, although we do not deserve anything from God on our own merits, God has chosen to love, save, and give life to us – both Jewish and Gentile Christians. St. Paul says that Divine grace does three things for us: a) brings us to life in Christ, b) raises us with Christ, and c) seats us in the Heavens. The sole purpose of these Divine deeds is to show the immeasurable riches of God’s grace.

Today’s Gospel provides Jesus, the Son of God, to become the agent of God’s salvation, not just for one sinful nation but also for the sinfulness of the whole world. Through John 3:16, the Gospel teaches us that God has expressed His love, mercy, and compassion for us by giving His Only Son for our salvation. Nicodemus, the wealthy Pharisee, and member of the Sanhedrin, meets Jesus by night and begins a long religious discussion. Jesus explains to him that he must believe Jesus’ words because Jesus is the Son of God. Then, by referring to the story of Moses and the bronze serpent (Num 21:1-9), Jesus further explains God’s plan of salvation. Just as God saved the victims of serpent bite from death through the bronze serpent, He is going to save humankind from its sins by permitting the crucifixion and death of His Son Jesus, because the love of God for humankind is that great.

We need to love the cross, the symbol of God’s forgiving and merciful love: it is not only of God’s love and mercy but also of the price of our salvation, It encourages us not only to feel deep sorrow for another’s suffering but also to try our best to remove that suffering. God’s love is unconditional, universal, forgiving, and merciful. Let us try to make an earnest attempt to include these qualities in sharing our love with others during Lent

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The Light of Christ

March 11, 2024

4th Sunday of Lent
Deacon Dick Kostner

It seems to me that the last time I talked to you I was wearing my “favorite” color of pink and talking about the light of Christ and once again I am called to talk to you bright as ever, once again displaying for all to see that God does indeed have a sense of humor in asking this Deacon friend of his to share some thoughts with you during this Holy Season of Lent before celebrating with you the “Light of Christ” at the Easter Vigil.

Why does God God punish us so much with pain and suffering? Why has our world lost common sense and no longer can determine what sex a person is or what bathroom one should use? Or the great question, where can I find someone I can count on to tell me some truth for it seems that no one seems to be able to even define what truth is? Sounds like the conversation between Pilate and Jesus don’t it? All of these big issues and questions are on display for us in the readings for this weekend with Jesus giving us the answer that we may not really want to hear or accept.

All of the problems we encounter during our lives centers around us being human descendants of Adam and Eve the first creatures God created in his image and likeness to create a new kingdom where love of God and others would find its home. But because of their desire to be like their creator and because of their free will they too wanted to be gods and make up their own plan of happiness and love, and so they did not listen to their creator and thus they and their descendants were blemished through their decision and God allowed them and all their descendants to suffer the consequences of their actions because of God’s love and respect for them.

Because of God’s love for us he gifted us with his son Jesus, and became human to allow us to learn how to live a life of happiness and love even in a world that contains sufferings. Jesus, our mentor and redeemer who will accompany us on our journey to eternity and support us to weather problems beyond our control such as natural storms and yes even the experience of having to die.

But what about the sufferings we experience such as failed relationships, and trying to find truth in a world filled with craziness? Where do we get relief and answers? Jesus gives us the answer in our Gospel as he explains it to Nicodemus. The answer is: “Through the light of Christ” and by allowing the light of Christ to become transparent and to shine through us as brothers and sisters of our Brother Jesus.

I believe that through our baptism we are given a hot line number, a switch so to speak that allows us to make a call for help to Jesus at any time of the day or night. When we are suffering or just uncertain of a path we are tempted to follow in life all we have to do is to not be afraid to make a call to the someone who can help us see the light to get us through our suffering or make that important decision. A person we can depend on to tell us the truth, that person is Jesus who has promised to send his spirit, the “light” referred to in the Gospels, to help us see our way out of a dilemma or weather a suffering. The problem is we first need to make that call for help or throw that switch “on” in order to make that connection with him, and secondly we need to listen to and trust his response even though it might not make sense to us or we disagree with what he is saying.

Because of free will if we fail to listen to him and trust ourselves over his advice, we will need to accept the consequences of our decision. God does not inflict punishment on us, rather he allows us to make up our own mind which can impose on us results that we might like to blame on him or others.

When I first got out of law school and began practice the first thing my dad taught me was to never be afraid to ask people who have knowledge and experience, for help. He said when you are uncertain pick up the phone and call a fellow attorney for advice. They will never refuse to help out a fellow brother. I trusted my dad and followed his advice and that eliminated me making a lot of mistakes and needless sufferings.

Jesus gifts us with the Sacraments to offer us help and support. He gives us an army of spiritual advisors to access through his Church, his body and his priests educated in obtaining for us the vocation he planned for each of us at our birth. And yes he gives us his written hopes and direction through his Gospels for us to study and to partner with him in building the kingdom of God here and now.

Do you trust Jesus? Do you believe he will tell you the truth? If so why do we not think about asking him and his Church first for help and direction when we are uncertain if we are making the right move in life or experiencing sufferings and need some support? He knows the future and what is best for us we don’t, so that’s where we need to trust his advice and accept it. We only need to throw the switch to see the light of Christ overtake the darkness of the world we live in and continue our walk in safety.

Remember the ashes we received, listen to our friend Jesus and “Repent and believe in the Gospel” to move through the Good Friday’s of life and see the light of Christ with him through his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Assignment: Examination of Conscience meditation on being a Light Disciple through prayer giving us “The Last Days of our Life with no regrets!” A Second Chance! (PS. Barb agrees with AJ she says I look good in pink!)

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