March 15, 2015
4th Sunday of Lent
Lent is all about baptism -- the renewal of our baptism and those who will be baptized during the Easter Vigil. When a baby is baptized, the priest welcomes the child and claims the child for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross. For many, our parents and Godparents renounced evil and sin and made a profession of faith for us. In our Gospel Nicodemus seeks Jesus in the night and asks: “How can someone be born again?†Jesus explains that when he is “lifted up†people will come to believe in him. Crucifixion is a horrible form of torture and death, yet the cross becomes a sign of hope. “God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son so that everyone believes in him may not perish but might have eternal life.†The cross is a symbol of sin and judgment. Yet, in the words of St. Paul: “God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ.†We have been lifted up and saved with him! The cross is a sign of salvation, love, forgiveness and healing. On Friday, I received a cell phone call from a man who a week earlier had been on life support. I was surprised! Jim remarked how important the cross on the wall in his room at Mercy Hospital was for him when he came out of his coma. Today, as we ready for Eucharist, we can gaze on our crucifix. May we have a deeper realization of God’s love for sinners and be led to repentance, faith and devotion i.e. good works done in the light.
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3rd Sunday of Lent A Cycle of Readings
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Easter
