Rejoice Jerusalem and be Glad for Her

03-14-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Today the Church calls us to rejoice having gone half way into the Lenten season. We are called to rejoice and be glad notwithstanding that we are still in the penitential season of Lenten season. Our reason to be glad is our opportunity to have participated half way in this journey with the Lord. That’s the reason the entrance antiphon of today’s Mass says, “Rejoice Jerusalem; Be glad for her, you who love her, rejoice with her, you who mourned for her”. Why does the Church ask us to rejoice at this time? The answer is seen clearly in the Gospel passage of today “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish”. What an amazing message that we are loved by God in such a way that He sacrificed His only son for us so that by believing in this son we do not perish. In summary, the love of God presented to us today gives us reason to rejoice. God’s unfailing love to humanity is seen in this statement that God gave His son for our own good and salvation. The theme of God’s mercy presented both in the first and second reading is enough reason for us to rejoice during this period.

The opening part of today’s first reading presents us with the abominable actions of the Israelites before the time of Babylonian exile. “In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests and the people added infidelity to infidelity practicing all the abomination of the nation.” Despite all these abominations God continues to search for His own because the death of a sinner is not His concern. Thus, He keeps sending messengers to call them back to Himself, but instead of paying attention to God’s messengers sent to them, they mocked the messengers of God, despise His warnings and scoffed at them. Even in our own days, God’s unfailing mercy is evident in the number of ways He calls us to Himself. He wants us to believe in Him, renounce our wicked ways and turn back to Him. He calls us through our own prophets and priests sent to us to share with us His mercy and love. He wants to dine with us if we are ready to give Him the opportunity. May we open our hearts to respond with love to God’s call which comes to us everyday in different ways.

Our present society today is not different from the Israelites of old who committed abominable sins before God. Our society today is filled with all kinds of abominable acts which has its roots in the sin of unbelief which pervades our society. In our world today human beings want to take the place of God and act without any regard to God. As the Psalmist Ps 14:1 says, “the fool says in his heart there is no God, they are corrupt they do abominable deeds, there is none that does well” and then he goes on to act like God. This unbelief attitude has given rise to unruly pride, the taking of lives of unborn children, culture of death transgender and same sex marriage. These are some abominable sins which calls for repentance and turning towards God’s love and mercy.

No matter the evil in the world the mercy of God is unlimited and the power of darkness can never overshadow the light of God. This is why the last part of today’s Gospel of John tells us the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil. These evils in different forms are works of darkness, but the light and mercy of God surpasses them.

May we turn in humility and embrace the mercy of God as he is full of compassion and love.