Fourth Sunday of Lent

Fourth Sunday of Lent Readings

The symbol of Moses raising the serpent up on a pole is a prefiguration of Christ upon the cross, destroying death to sin, which was introduced to humankind by the serpent in the garden of Eden. Christ was lifted up for all to see and all were given the grace to believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Scripture tells us that people who foster evil desires are so consumed by their sin, that they have no care about judgment and plot evil even when they lay their heads down at night to sleep.  The evildoer has no fear of God in their mind and heart and reject the grace given them to repent and convert.

The deeds of the wicked are conceived in darkness because their lack of fear of the Lord drives out the light.  The righteous constantly seek the light and the light reveals our own sinfulness and the sinfulness is exposed, and the mercy of God is upon us who seek the light of Christ.

God offers His mercy to us, through Jesus, so we may have life and have it to the fullest.  However, God will not violate our free will and force us to accept what He offers.  Instead, He awaits a response from us so we may be healed and reconciled to the Father. 

In our Catholic tradition, we find our response in the sacrament of reconciliation.  In this sacrament, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we examine our conscience, we admit our sinfulness, and allow ourselves to be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.  Admitting our sins, though, is only part of the process.  The other part of the process is to commit ourselves to trying to never sin again.  We must renounce sin in all its forms, and we must renounce our desires that lead to sin.

The sacrament of reconciliation is a healing sacrament.  The healing qualities of the sacrament are not limited to only the spirit, but also heal our minds and our bodies.  Sin begins with the harboring of the thought to want to sin, the action of the body to act upon our thoughts, and the result that our spirit dies because of our sins. The remission of sin leads to freedom to live a life in the Spirit.

Sinfulness is not confined to the most grievous of sins but also includes what we commonly refer to as venial sins.  John of the Cross, in his writings, tells us that venial sins are like the marks of rain drops on a windowpane, the drops distort our vision and do not allow us to see clearly through the windowpane.  Likewise, when our vision is distorted, the grace of God, like the sun shining through the window, is partially blocked.

Each night, before we fall asleep, let us recall our day, give thanks to God for the gift of life today, invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts to guide us, to recall our sins today, seek the mercy of God for forgiveness, and promise to try not to sin again.

If we end our day in this manner, we will begin the next day with a renewed spirit to live our lives as a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord and be grateful for calling us when we were still sinners to share in the kingdom He prepared for us for all eternity.

During this Lenten season, may we all strive to know ourselves better, to respond to God’s calling for repentance, reconciliation, and conversion and keep our feet planted firmly on the road to salvation.

May God continue to bless you,

Deacon Phil