Fourth Sunday of Lent
Each day, we are writing page of a book, which at end of our lives could be called, “The Chronicles of (Your Name).” I have wondered this week what my chronicle will read like. What will yours read like?
Today’s first reading is from the 2nd book of Chronicles. The two books of Chronicles lay out the genealogy from Adam all the way up to until the proclamation of King Cyrus who ended the Babylonian exile. But Chronicles contains more than just a simple timeline. It is a theological book. It is a reconstruction of God’s intervention in human history. It is also a recording of the human response to divine intervention.
In the same way that the Books of Chronicles is a theological project, so are our lives. In my three points today, I would reflect on our lives as a theological project.
Two Movements
The section we read in today’s first reading has two primary movements. The first movement talks of the “infidelity upon infidelity” particularly of Judah, the Southern kingdom (2 Chr 36:14). Israel, the Northern Kingdom too was unfaithful and was decimated by the Assyrians. Despite the infidelity of Judah, God never gave upon them. God kept sending messengers out of compassion for the people (2 Chr 36:15). But they did not heed (2 Chr 36:16). Finally, God simply let Judah experience the consequence of their infidelity through the Babylonian Exile (2 Chr 36:19). But that is not the final word.
We then hear of a second movement – a movement initiated by God. God comes to the rescue of people for no merit of their own. God rescues the exiled people. Through Cyrus, the King of Persia, Judah is restored. The remnants returned to Jerusalem and they built what is now called, the Second Temple. In other words, God compassion, God’s mercy, God love, and God’s fidelity become the final word.
Further Reflection on God’s Mercy and Love
Today’s second reading is a continuation of the two movements in we see in Chronicles. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says “God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ” (Eph 2:4-5). This is, as it were, the new Chronicles. Humanity was dead in its transgression. But God is rich in mercy. The triumph and the greatness of God’s love is seen in this that even when humanity was dead in its transgressions, God brought us to life with Christ.
The Gospel reading further emphasizes this movement. If Chronicles states that in God’s compassion God sent messengers to Judah, John tell us, “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son.” The entire Chronicle of the history of salvation ends with God compassion, God’s mercy, God love, and God’s fidelity.
Chronicle of our Life
I began my homily saying that each day we are writing a book, which at the end of our lives could be called our chronicles.
None of our lives are perfect. I can see the two movements in today’s scripture in my own life. Like Judah, there are times in my life that I would rather not boast about. But there is also another movement - the grace, the compassion, the mercy, the love, and the faithfulness of God that helped me learn from life-experiences with hope.
Each day, we are writing a page of a book. Like the Chronicles, our life too is a theological project. We might ask, what might be the main theological themes of the Chronicles of Satish, or yours? What might be the main movements that describe our journey toward eternity? Reflect on these things this week.
Lent offers us the opportunity to reflect on our lives in light of the chronicles of God’s people. Salvation history has much to teach us. Yes, we are imperfect, but may the grace, the compassion, the mercy, the love, and the faithfulness of God have the final word. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph