1st Reading: 2 Cor 36:14-16,19-23
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 137:1-6
2nd Reading: Eph 2:4-10
Gospel: Jn 3:14-21
Hopefully we see Lent as leading us towards something instead of getting stuck inside of the season without any way to move forward from here. I think the tension between two cartoon characters, the Roadrunner and Wil E. Coyote, displays the fact that sometimes we get stuck and thus decide to never move forward in our lives. Wil E. Coyote found himself to be a great visionary who thought his clever plans would one day catch the Roadrunner. Despite his great ideas everything always backfired and the Roadrunner was always able to get away. I remember one cartoon where Wil E. Coyote's plan was to paint a tunnel on a rock where he hoped that the Roadrunner would smack into the side of it and thus finally be caught. Well of course that plan backfired and the Roadrunner ran right through that tunnel and Wil E. Coyote could not believe it. He therefore traced the Roadrunner's steps and smashed into the wall. Through this scheme he was unable to look forward, but was stuck in the moment. The Roadrunner on the other hand was able to look forward and thus he was able to journey through the wall.
We have all set aside our own sacrifices during the season of Lent. Soda, candy, alcohol, and other favorite items have been set aside, but for what? Now that we find ourselves four weeks into the Lenten season where have we set our gaze? Do we suffer without the items only because of this being what is asked of us during Lent or do we have our eyes set upon something greater? Lent may seem to be a long season that has only been placed upon the calendar to bring us much pain and sorrow as we are forced to not eat meat on Fridays and to give up something that we cherish. If this is our attitude we can definitely see how it is possible to smack into the side of a wall and never be able to move forward. The season of Lent may call us to almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, but I assure you that these three practices are rooted in drawing us closer to God's great love for each of us.
Our Gospel tells us about the light of Christ that we are all invited to enter into. The light of Christ should be the place that we root each and every one of our Lenten practices. Through enduring these various Lenten practices we should be leaving the darkness of our everyday life behind and should be drawing closer and closer to the light that is Christ's love for us. In order for us to become receptive to this great light we must do so through putting our disordered passions to rest. When we give money to the poor or go without a favorite food we should be growing in a virtue that will place us on this trajectory with the light of Christ. It is when we stay idle that we run into a wall that cannot budge, but it is with the light of Christ that we will be able to move about freely. When we link our practices up with this great light we will finally be able to penetrate the wall that surrounds us and will be ready to celebrate with Christ Resurrected on Easter Sunday.
In Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians we are reminded that we were once dead through sin, but have now been brought back to life thanks to Christ Jesus. This image reminds us of our ultimate destiny during the season of Lent. It should be our goal during this season to join with Saint Paul and begin to leave our old self behind, so that we may draw closer to Christ. Each time that we desire to take a bite of our favorite food, we should resist the urge and offer it up, so that we can grow closer to Christ. Christ had to endure suffering greater then we can ever know and through these little penances we are able to join with Him on the Cross. Without the cross we would never be able to move on to the season of Easter. The cross is the instrument which connects us with the Season of Easter. Therefore it is the cross that will aid each of us in finding our way in this journey of faith and will help to point us towards the new hope that comes with Christ Resurrected.
Cyrus the King of Persia had it correct when he stated in the Second Letter to the Corinthians: "he has (been) charged to build him a house" where "among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him." Finally out of the strife of the world where people fell into sin and the faith was persecuted rose up the possibility for all people to allow Christ to make a home within their hearts and thus be given the ability to bring him to all people who they encounter. Through our Lenten observances we are preparing our homes to be transformed. If we truly believe that it is possible for Christ to come to dwell with us we will prepare now for his arrival instead a waiting for a day that may never come. As Christians we must look forward to this transformation that will take place if we can allow all of our Lenten sacrifices to be directed towards Christ.
As we enter into the fourth week of Lent we glance down and see that we still have three weeks remaining inside of this season. May each of us no longer be okay with sitting idle as the season passes us by. We may be busy and their might be a lot that is going on inside of our lives, but we must take the time that is necessary to allow ourselves to grow towards Christ. The remainder of this Lenten season is the perfect time to do this and the Church has definitely supplied all the tools that we will need to do so. Therefore my brothers and sisters in Christ may we take time out of this day to evaluate how the season of Lent is going for us and ask ourselves where we are currently directed if anywhere. If we find that we have been wondering about lost may we use the remainder of this time to orient ourselves towards drawing closer to Christ.
No matter what sorrow or joy that we bring to this Church today may we never forget you O Lord!
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