Daily Reflection Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

The final document of the Synod is so in sync with today’s readings. It states that the church is a relational church: the church is God’s home and family-- “We recognize a synodal church by flourishing interpersonal relationships  flowing from the mutual love that constitutes the new commandment left by Jesus and his disciples.” Allowing a lack of information, as well as societal prejudice to jade our decision making engender division—not unity. God overwhelms us with tenderness!  So, we need to ask ourselves if we are blinded to the wonderful and tender, yet focus on the miniscule points of legality. Isaiah was living during the Babylonian Captivity when he gave us this tender image of God as our mother. He understood misunderstandings and quarreling. Now God is inviting us out of our own small world of fear and selfishness. Our baptismal commitment mandates, encourages us to care for the sick, the handicapped, the poor, the neglected. Just as Jesus cannot do anything on his own, we also need the help and strength that the Father gives us. All we need to do is ask and cooperate!

 

    All our readings today speak of “relationship.” Isaiah tells us that God’s maternal love for us is everlasting. Wow! God loves each one of us like a mother—selfless and caring. Even if a mother refuses to love her child, God will never stop loving us! Another wow! In writing today’s gospel, the community of John assures us that if we respond positively to God, we will have a deep relationship with the divine—everlasting life. Can it get any better?



    It is difficult to maintain our equilibrium with all that is happening around us socially, politically, and internationally. With all the media voices clamoring for our attention, to whom do we listen? There is a necessary plea within schools to silence cell phones during class time. I believe that all of us need to limit continual access to communication. How else can we concentrate on what is important, on what God wants of us? We know we must regulate how much of the media we need to take in. How else can we focus on those relationships—to ourselves, to each other, and to our God? We cannot solve problems unless we are concerned with their causes and solutions. Allowing a lack of information and societal prejudice to jade our decision making engender division—not unity. In today’s gospel, Jesus is encouraging us to be in union with his Father. He even promises that we will do greater things than he is doing!



Listen to Loving and Forgiving by Scott Soper