Fourth Sunday of Lent

Today's Mass Readings

The progression of today’s readings highlights God’s infinite love and mercy for a world that often fails to acknowledge or respond to the gifts that it has received. In the first reading, a number of horrendous acts against God are described, and we are told that God’s response is compassion. The ultimate expression of this compassion is captured in the following passage from today’s Gospel reading: “For God so loved he world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) Yet despite the physical expression of God’s love for us through Christ’s death, the Gospel reading warns us of mankind’s tendency to turn away from God and toward darkness. When I read today’s Gospel passage, I’m struck by the description of the breadth of God’s love as being for “the world” and the description of mankind’s tendency to turn away from God as one that is personal. Although God’s love applies to the world and not just a certain group within it, God’s love is not diminished as it is applied to each individual. St. Augustine’s message that God loves each of us, as if there were only one of us, is particularly relevant in the context of today’s readings. (Confessions, Book 3, Chapter 11) If we grasp the personal nature of Christ’s death, how can we fail to respond?

While each of us may have taken for granted the gifts described into today’s readings, Lent is an opportunity to identify and shed light into those areas of our life where darkness may be gaining a foothold. If we attack those dark areas with the confidence of someone who knows and understands the depth of God’s support and commitment to us, the darkness will inevitably give way to the light. The gifts have been given unconditionally to everyone, but the choice to apply those gifts is one that each individual must make.

- John Sperino