THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT – LAETARE SUNDAY
Gospel of the Day (John 3,14-21)
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
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 into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
Once we experience God’s healing power, the most important thing is for us to recognize that ‘it was Jesus’. We tend to live our lives oblivious of His healing or the work of His hands. We have to understand that in all these life-changing or heart-warming experiences, it is Jesus. It is always Jesus.
The moment we acknowledge that it is Him, He comes and asks the question, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? You have seen Him and it is He speaking to you.” Only when we acknowledge Jesus, can we be truly healed from our blindness. May God bless us with joyful hearts that allow us to see clearly.
PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen