Homily Fourth Sunday of Lent Year B: Fr.
Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
2
Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; · Ps 137:1-6;
· Eph 2:4-10
· John 3:14-21
Joy In
God’s Saving Grace and Loving Mercy!
God
is love! And he so much love the world that he gave his only beloved Son to die
for us to save us, especially those who believe in him ( John 3:16). What a generous given that we are invited to rejoice
in. This generous God judges,
yet he forgives. He is merciful. He is gracious. He liberates mankind from
all kinds of exiles. Many of them in history. Yet, he brings us joy! Four weeks
ago, how time flies, on Ash Wednesday, we began our Lenten journey, marked with
prayers, acts of charity, fasting, mourning, preaching and listening very
closely to the Word of God, as well as disposing ourselves for other
forms of spiritual renewals. Here we are
today, on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called Laetare
Sunday, a joyful Sunday. The joy of divine freedom. The joy of divine grace! Scripture
readings today starting with the entrance antiphon speak directly to this
joy and reasons behind it!
In the entrance antiphon we (Isaiah
66:10-11) we sang “Rejoice (rinna) with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
All you who love her Exult, rejoice with her, all you who were mourning over
her…suck fully of the milk of her comfort,” ( cf. Zeph 3:14-20; Francis,
Evangelii Gaudium). No matter the challenges we are called to remain
steadfast and rejoice in the Lord who is ever steadfast in loving us. He sees
us through successive, dangers: wars, uncertainties, hunger, poverty,
deprivation, jealousies, disobedience, gossips, exiles and the pains of the
loss of our loved ones.
In
addition to the entrance antiphonic message from the prophet Isaiah, the first
reading, 2 Chronicles 36 testifies to God’s loving mercy upon Israel in spite of
who they were. Remember this first reading (which some may think is irrelevant)
is placed in the Christian Bible in the historical section between 2 kings and
Ezra- Nehemiah, it is actually and consistently a positive and joyful text of
freedom and historical summary of God’s salvific actions, particularly
through the divine instrument, King Cyrus, placed joyfully at the end of the
Hebrew Canon/Tanak. No matter what, God guided his people from moment of creation
(Genesis) to a joyful renewed and rebuilt temple of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles)!
Chronicles therefore,
recounts, “In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people
added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations,
and polluting the Lord’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.”
This let them into the darkness and judgment of exiles in Assyria,
Babylon and Persia. But, the God of our fathers, who is compassionate and
merciful, would never abandon his people. God has his dramatic and divine
ways of restoring Israel to himself; evident in the Exodus/Wilderness’ events, in
Ezra- Nehemiah, and in other Midrashic Books of Tobith, Ruth, Judith, and
Esther. It is all about God’s
initiative, his mercy, his grace and steadfast love as we obediently respond in
faith.
Paul in his missionary journeys understood this call to obedience of faith. In
the second reading, Ephesians 2:4-10 Paul also demonstrates his knowledge and understanding of God’s universal love and
mercy, his divine grace, his consistent rebuilding process, and righteousness in the midst of human weaknesses, as he ministers
to the Church in Ephesus. In it Paul says, to the believing Gentiles church “Brothers
and Sisters, God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had love
us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life in Christ-
by grace you have been saved…”
Unless the Lord builds the house, each of us, Jews and
Gentiles, in vain do we labor! God's saving acts to both Jews and Gentiles
(once sinners) culminate in the Gospel reading of today that “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. For God did not send his Son in to the
world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him”
(John 3:14-21).
It
is in this saving love of God, his grace, his righteousness (Rom 1:17;
3:21-31; Gal 3) that we celebrate and rejoice for today, on this Laetare
Sunday! Therefore, as we look forward to the remaining week of Lent,
which ushers us into the Passion Week, let us allow ourselves to be forgiven
just as we strive to forgive those who may have hurt or offended us. Let
us also, as Pope Francis would recommend in his Evangelii Gauudium
reach out evangelically, prophetically, with joy to the world; our brothers,
and sisters, the poor, the sick, the needy in prisons, the rich, and those
affected by war, hatred, violent racism, terrorisms and all forms of modern
slavery.
Reflection
Questions:
1.
What brings you
and your family/religious community joy in the light of today’s scriptures?
2.
How do you
reconcile your calling to obedience of faith with the righteousness, loving grace and the steadfastness
of God?
3.
In what ways have
you actively assisted members of your community (Jews and Gentiles) to find joy in
Christ/God?
