(Laetare Sunday )

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

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.”

 

Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6ab

Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

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, gi­ving 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.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

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. 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.

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 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.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

The action of Moses in the past found meaning later on in the life of Jesus when He Himself was also lifted up on the cross to heal humankind from the poison of sin. He was God’s own beloved yet it did not stop God to offer His Only Son to redeem the world. Thus, eternal life can be had, if one believes in the Son and follow His words that leads to the light.

Reflect:

God sought the way of love to redeem the world. God could have saved the world in other ways, Perhaps even less stressful and gory. But God decided that it is through love. Because of this God paid the price. God gave up His only Son.

This sacrifice of the Father was obediently followed by the Son who loves the Father so much. He did not hesitate nor question the divine decision of His Fahther. For He too loved the world in the same way that the Father loves the world.

That is why He is the light of the world. There is no cloud of doubt in what He is doing. He believes in the Father’s project in as much as it is also His proiect. So, to believe in Jesus Christ is to believe in His Father whom He represents. The one who believes will be saved because this is the project of God the Father and the Son.

Respond:

God has shown that the way of love is difficult. The price is steep sometimes. But at the end of it all, it is worth it. The sacrifices in between fade at the beautiful outcome of loving.

And so perhaps, it is high time to think of our own loves. If it is holy and noble and true, despite the hardships in between, let us press onwards becase Jesus already showed us how it would end.