FOURTH
SUNDAY OF LENT
1 Chr 36:14-16.19-23/ Ps 137/ Eph. 2:4-10/ Jn. 3: 14-21
There
are many reasons in giving. First, we give because we want to get something in
return. For example, an ordinary employee works hard in order to have a
promotion. Second, we share with others because we are forced to do so. It is
like in order to avoid a beggar who is knocking at your car window, you give
him a peso and ward him off away from you. Finally, we give to people simply
out of our love towards them. This is the generosity shown by a mother who
continues to love a very hard headed and stubborn son.
In our
Gospel, we heard Jesus telling Nicodemus that “for God so loved the world that
he gave us his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.” God gave the world a very special gift, his only
begotten Son. And the reason for such giving is his love for the world. However, such love is not ordinary. We heard
in our Gospel the word, “so” preceding the word, “love.” Thus, God’s generosity
is due to his SO intense, SO tremendous love for humanity. Why such intensity?
Why is God’s love “to the max?”
It is
not so much on the part of God but on the recipients of his generosity. Who
then are the recipients? Our first reading from the book of Chronicles tells us
who they are. “In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the
people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the
nations and polluting the Lord’s temple. They mocked the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets.” Indeed, we can say that
God’s generosity is really out of his so great a love for us, his unfaithful
and stubborn children.
That is
why St. Paul in our second reading is reminding us recipients of God’s
generosity that “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is
not from you, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.”
It is not from our credentials that God gives us but from God himself; from his
abundant love for you and me.
In our
lives, we have to accept the truth that God has given us a lot since the moment
we existed here on earth. The fact that we have reached this age in life is
already a gift from God. The fact that despite your ugliness, you were still
able to find a loving husband or a faithful wife is a great gift from God. And
God has given us all these things not because of our goodness, intelligence, or
beauty. It is simply out of his great love for us. That is why our first
response to his generosity is to “NAME GRACE.” Let us sing with our Psalmist
today, “Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you.” May we not forget the
goodness of God in our lives by claiming and naming grace day by day.
However,
naming grace is not enough. It should lead us to SHARING GRACE. Just as God has
given us so much despite our unworthiness, let us also learn to share grace to
those people who have been deprived of it – the poor. Pope Francis has told us,
“Yes, we give to the poor, but do we touch them? Charity that does not change
the situation of the poor is not enough.” Thus, it is better to ask ourselves,
when was the last time that you gave wholeheartedly to the poor, to your house helps,
to your suffering brothers and sisters? If until now, they have not improved
even a little, then we have not given much.
In this
Fourth Sunday of Lent, may we FEAST on NAMING GRACE for God despite of our
unworthiness has continued to shower us with his blessings. Yet, let us also FAST
from selfishness so that we could SHARE GRACE to the least, last, and lost in
society.
And so
we pray, “Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as I
should; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and ask not for reward;
save
that of knowing that I do Your most holy will.” Amen.
NB. Photo taken from http://vnuit.com/giving-back/
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