DAILY- HOMILY

MARCH 18, 2012
L`TARE SUNDAY
4TH SUNDAY OF LENT – B

2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23 / Eph 2:4-10 / Jn 3:14-21

2 CHRONICLES 36:14-16, 19-23
Furthermore, all the heads of the priesthood, and the people, too,
were exceedingly unfaithful, following the disgusting example of the
nations around them, and so they defiled the house which Yahweh
himself had made holy. Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, continued
to send prophets to warn his people, since he had compassion on them
and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God,
ignored his words, and laughed at his prophets, until at last the
anger of Yahweh rose so high against his people that there was no
further remedy. They burned down the house of God, broke down the
walls of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed
everything of value in it. The survivors were deported by
Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him and his descendants
as slaves until the kingdom of Persia came to power. This is how the
work of Yahweh was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, "The land
will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for its Sabbath rests
that have not been observed." And in the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, to fulfill what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah,
Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue the
following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud
everywhere in his kingdom: "Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh,
the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has
ordered me to build him a house in Jerusalem, in Judah. Now, all of
you who belong to his people, go there and may Yahweh your God be with
you."

EPHESIANS 2:4-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, revealed his immense love. As we were
dead through our sins, he gave us life with Christ. By grace you have
been saved! And he raised us to life with Christ, gi ving us a place
with him in heaven. In showing us such kindness in Christ Jesus, God
willed to reveal and unfold in the coming ages the extraordinary
riches of his grace. By the grace of God you have been saved through
faith. This has not come from you: it is God's gift. This was not the
result of your works, so you are not to feel proud. What we are is
God's work. He has created us in Christ Jesus for the good works he
has prepared that we should devote ourselves to them.

JOHN 3:14-21
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man
be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever
believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did
not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through
him the world is to be saved. Who condemned. He who does not believe
is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the
only Son of God. This is how the Judgment is made: Light has come into
the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil. For whoever does wrong hates the light, and doesn't
come to the light, for fear that his deeds will be seen as evil. But
whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light, so that it
can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God."

REFLECTION
Today's Gospel allows us to return to the "on and off " relationship
of the Israelites with Yahweh. In bondage for 430 years, they cried
out to God for freedom. God answered them and led them out of Egypt to
the Promised Land. Unfortunately, while traversing the land of Edom,
they became impatient and spoke against God and Moses for lack of
water and food (Numbers 21:5). They lost their sight of the Promised
Land because of hunger and long journey to nowhere. Because of their
impatience, the Lord sent poisonous snakes, which bit them; many died.
When they repented, God commanded Moses to make a bronze snake, set it
on a pole, and everyone who looked at it lived.

The life of the Israelites is a reflection of our life. We, too, have
asked God for something: a new house, a happy family, a comfortable
life, a baby, reconciliation with a friend, healing from a long
ailment, and more. We cross our fingers and hope that God, in His
time, will grant our dreams. But sometimes, because we have to wait
for weeks, months, and years, we start to doubt God. We become
impatient, wanting an instant answer or solution instead of waiting.
In our desire to speed up the process, we end up making hasty
decisions that lead us to sin or commit mistakes.

Most of our sins are caused by our impatience and unwillingness to
deal with uncertainty and suffering. We want resolution without delay.
When the devil sees this growing impatience in us, he will offer an
"instant solution" – a very tempting alternative to God's promise.
This modern poisonous snake bites when one becomes impatient.

But God's love and forgiveness never cease. In the New Testament,
instead of offering a bronze snake on a pole to look upon for healing,
God offered His only Son – on the wooden pole. Anyone who looks and
believes in him will be saved. (John 3:14). But believing means going
beyond words and following in Jesus' footsteps. The crucifix
symbolizes Jesus' patience and endurance; to hold on until death. It
should give us the strength to move on and carry our daily crosses
with determination.

So in our present world of quick fixes, rush jobs, instant food,
digital downloads, internet, cut and paste, overnight affairs, and
divorce, let us stop and cultivate more patience. Let us pause, watch
a sunset, spend time with a loved one, visit the Blessed Sacrament for
an hour. To be patient is to be calm, to allow God to be in control,
to smile when plans are not working well, to gladly tolerate delays,
to embrace the unknown, and to be hopeful. The joy in discovering the
simple things of life can teach us the virtue of patience. Open our
eyes. Good things are fruits of hard work, patience, and endurance.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Tung-Jou Sheh
- Chief Samrose Anyaugo
- Darlene, Bob, Kristin, Elena, Linda O, Mary Ann, Ron S, Darlene's
husband
- Diane Laviolette and Marty Reed
… for the personal intentions of
- Dr Ugo Anyaugo, Ogechi Anyaugo, Barr Obinna Okoronkwo, Barr Mrs
Barbara Amarachi Adabekee Okoronkwo, Engr Ifeanyi Matt Anyaugo, Chuba
Chuchu Anyaugo; Cordelia Anyaugo& Kelechi Kellar Ozurumba
- Dana, Eugene R, Rita & Pam, Ben
- Josheil Dapo
… for the eternal repose of the souls of
- Karl Roy
- Felicisimo Cierte Brion
Eternal rest grant unto them and may perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Angelica Samarista
- Birthday: Marco Yao-Bate
- Wedding Anniversary: Gregorio & Suzanne Kaw
- Wedding Anniversary: Rosalind & Erwin Ty Tan
- In Memoriam (+): Frank Atienza
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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