DAILY- HOMILY

March 11, 2018 - 4th SUNDAY OF LENT (Laetare Sunday)

Cycle B. Rose

Violet

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

FROM THE 2ND READING:            Eph 2: 4- 6

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, giving us a place with him in heaven.

FROM THE GOSPEL READING:     Jn 3 :14 -18

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "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. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God."

REFLECTION

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus clearly tells Nicodemus, a leading ruler of the Jews, about the role of the Son of Man to save humankind. Nicodemus saw Jesus by night, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him." (Jn 3: 2)

Jesus tells Nicodemus, "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." (Jn 3: 14) The context was the story (Nm 21: 4- 9) how God sent poisonous seraph snakes in anger for the wrongdoing of the Jews against God in the desert and how, to save those bitten by snakes, Moses was instructed by God to make a bronze serpent, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.." (Nm 21:8)

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he would be lifted up like a snake on a pole, as indeed he was lifted up on the Cross, so that everyone who would believe in him would be saved from death and live. Jesus was disclosing himself to Nicodemus as the Messiah, "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." (Jn 3: 16)

Jesus' disclosure to Nicodemus is being made to us. We are invited to take our brokenness, our history of sin and our need for healing to the Crucified Lord. we are invited to more deeply appreciate that, when we gaze at the Crucified Lord, we gaze on the ultimate source of our healing. Today we have a special invitation to see the crucified Lord as the Father's special word of love, forgiveness and healing not only for all of humanity but for each of us personally. Gaze on the crucified Lord as the Father's speaking a word of love straight to our heart.. Should we experience this love, St. Ignatius of Loyola suggests that we respond in deeds of love: "If this is what you have done for me in love, Lord, what have I done for you? What am I doing for you? What oughtldoforyou?"

May we answer these questions in the truth of God's light. For as Jesus told Nicodemus, "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. Or whoever does wrong hates the light and doesn't come to the light for fear that his deeds will be shown 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." (Jn 3: 19 - 21)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Karen A. Pe Benito

     Atty. Marianne Reyna C. Una – Cruz

     Gio C. Ventura

IN MEMORIAM {+}

     Saw Cen

     Natividad L. Chuakay

OTHER INTENTIONS:      

For the health of Carissa Kahn and the complete healing of her kidney functions.

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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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

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