{"id":1482,"date":"2024-03-10T10:07:49","date_gmt":"2024-03-10T15:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/?page_id=1482"},"modified":"2024-10-25T10:00:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:00:29","slug":"the-fourth-sunday-of-lent-year-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/index.php\/2024\/03\/10\/the-fourth-sunday-of-lent-year-b\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2014The Fourth Sunday of Lent &#8211; Year B"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1482\" class=\"elementor elementor-1482\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b8d22d7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"84079\" data-id=\"b8d22d7\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-99f195b\" data-eae-slider=\"94072\" data-id=\"99f195b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c77524 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7c77524\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Fourth\n Sunday of Lent - Year B<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-29335d4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"68797\" data-id=\"29335d4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;shape_divider_bottom&quot;:&quot;book&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shape elementor-shape-bottom\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-negative=\"false\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 100\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\">\n\t<path class=\"elementor-shape-fill\" d=\"M194,99c186.7,0.7,305-78.3,306-97.2c1,18.9,119.3,97.9,306,97.2c114.3-0.3,194,0.3,194,0.3s0-91.7,0-100c0,0,0,0,0-0 L0,0v99.3C0,99.3,79.7,98.7,194,99z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2633fe8\" data-eae-slider=\"76800\" data-id=\"2633fe8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99c059b elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"99c059b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac32618 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ac32618\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reading I<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ce29ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4ce29ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/2chronicles\/36?14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>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\u2019s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.<br \/>Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy. Their enemies burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword were carried captive to Babylon, where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons until the kingdom of the Persians came to power. All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: \u201cUntil the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled.\u201d<br \/>In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: \u201cThus says Cyrus, king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-568d889 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"568d889\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Responsorial Psalm<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-352e7ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"352e7ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/137?1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/><em><strong>R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!<\/strong><\/em> By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. On the aspens of that land we hung up our harps. <br \/><em><strong>R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!<\/strong><\/em><br \/>For there our captors asked of us the lyrics of our songs, And our despoilers urged us to be joyous: \u201cSing for us the songs of Zion!\u201d <em><strong><br \/>R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!<\/strong><\/em><br \/>How could we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand be forgotten! <br \/><em><strong>R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!<\/strong><\/em><br \/>May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, If I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy. <br \/><em><strong>R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ffa7f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0ffa7f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reading II<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5dc261d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5dc261d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/ephesians\/2?4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ephesians 2:4-10<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>Brothers and sisters: 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 \u2014 by grace you have been saved \u2014, raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-87353ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"87353ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Verse Before the Gospel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c71559 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3c71559\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/3?16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>John 3:16<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc12a73 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cc12a73\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Gospel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e16f610 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e16f610\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/3?14https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/3?14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>John 3:14-21<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>Jesus said to Nicodemus: \u201cJust as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.\u201d<br \/>For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31b8a48 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"31b8a48\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Exegesis<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d370257 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d370257\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/2chronicles\/36?14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>In typical fashion the Israelites seek answers to why bad things happen to them, the chosen peo-ple. They equate their infidelity to God and His prophets as the reason for their misfortune of the Babylonian Exile. They also recognize the hand of God in their newfound freedom. The saving act of God that sets them free after 70 years is for us one of two predominant paradigms for salva-tion in Sacred Scripture. The first of course is the Exodus experience. Both of these events mark the beginning of a journey, a long and arduous journey to the Promised Land. God\u2019s powerful hand sets them free, and God is with them on the journey.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9b822f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e9b822f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/137?1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>During this 70-year period of Exile, despite being scattered all over the Middle East, something held the Israelites together. It was the Word of God and their common faith. Our psalmist today bemoans that challenging time of exile and captivity. As generations revolve their faith remains constant. The yearning for homeland is passed on to children and children\u2019s children. Now a new generation returns to rebuild what once was.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6f987e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e6f987e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/ephesians\/2?4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ephesians 2:4-10<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>Ephesians articulates what theology has come to call The Primacy of Grace. St. John explains in his First Letter, In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loves us and sent His only Son as expiation for our sins. <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/1john\/4?10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(1 Jn 4:10)<\/strong><\/span><\/a> The author of Ephesians speaks of the same primacy of love and mercy such that even in our transgressions we are brought to life in and through Christ. With Pauline vocabulary, i.e., grace, faith, works, boasting; but with a shift in emphasis from Paul\u2019s description of justification by faith apart from works of the law \u2013 Ephesians speaks of sal-vation as the result of God\u2019s gift alone. The dichotomy is no longer faith vs. works <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/romans\/3?28\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(Rom 3:28)<\/strong><\/span><\/a> but God\u2019s grace vs. human good deeds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96bbdc9 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"96bbdc9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adc2d7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"adc2d7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>1. New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Brown, Fitzmyer, Murphy, P.H, page 887.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-85b49d2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"85b49d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/3?14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>John 3:14-21<\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>Jesus recalls the story of the Fiery Serpents from the 21st Chapter of Numbers. As a response to the grumbling of the people God sent Seraph or Fiery Serpents that were biting the people, and they were dying from its poison. The people asked Moses to pray to God to take away the ser-pents. Moses did but God did not take away the serpents. Instead He provided the antidote for those who had faith. Moses was instructed to hang a replica bronze serpent on a pole. Those who gazed upon the bronze serpent would be saved from the poison. He did not take away the snakes nor did he stop them from biting, but He took away the sting of death for those who be-lieved. Thus salvation became a gift that required a response, a personal choice and an ascent of faith. Death is still with us, but to those of faith, death no longer has the last word.<br \/>John 3:16 reminds us that salvation is both gift and response and so faith is both gift and re-sponse. Why did Jesus include the word only as in only Son? Why did He not simply say, God gave His Son? It reminds us that God gives us His all. The gift of God\u2019s all begs a response of our all. A gift is not a gift until it is received. We must accept the gift. With that gift comes an illumination of the heart and mind. St. Agustine called this divine illumination. It is the gift di-mension of faith. Faith is one of the three theological virtues as God is the source. Faith also, because of the gift of free-will, requires a personal response.<br \/>The Light has come into the world, but people preferred darkness to light. This is a true yet trou-bling statement by Jesus. It is an indictment of our fallen human nature. The Light of Christ illu-minates the darkness of our lives and that can be a little challenging and even painful. The spir-itual life is a journey into ever brighter light. Along that journey as we get closer to the Light we continue to see new things that we did not see before. We see areas of darkness and sin that need purging.(John 20:31)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e502ceb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e502ceb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reflection<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d266f89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d266f89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This weekend, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we celebrate what is called Laetare (la-tar-ae) Sunday. The word means \u201cRejoice\u201d and is taken from the Latin translation of Isaiah 66:10: \u201cRejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in her joy.\u201d Our first reading this weekend from the Book of Chronicles and our Psalm recall the time of exile in Babylon and the joy of being set free to return to Jerusalem. This Sunday we pause to rejoice in the gift of Salvation.<br \/>For most of my life I have looked at the stories of salvation, the Exodus experience where the people are set free from slavery in Egypt, the freeing of the people from captivity in Baby-lon, and the Passion of Jesus where we are set free from the bondage of sin and death, all as be-ing set free from something, i.e. slavery and bondage, sin and death. I now look at the para-digms of salvation more in the light of being set free for something. The Israelites were set free from the chains of slavery in Egypt to begin a journey through the desert to the Promised Land. The people were set free from bondage in Babylon to begin a journey back to Jerusalem to re-build the temple and their lives. By the Cross of Jesus we are being set free from the grip of sin and death to begin a journey through the \u201cdesert\u201d of this life to the Promised Land that we call Heaven. And so we REJOICE! The joy must be found in the journey.<br \/>In our first reading this Sunday the people are being set free by King Cyrus with the express charge to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of God. They are being set free for a pur-pose. We too have been set free to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth. We have been set free to accomplish the mission entrusted to us by Jesus, the mission to be a channel of His love pouring upon the world.<br \/>Our Gospel this weekend is centered on the famous passage John 3:16: \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him might not per-ish but might have eternal life.\u201d I always looked at that as the gift of the birth of Jesus into our world and the gift of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. I looked back to the events of 2,000 years ago. I was once told by a respected scripture scholar that a very plausible translation for this famous Gospel passage might go like this: \u201cFor God so loves the world, that He gives His only begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.\u201d He said that he felt that the tense of the verb is active and ongoing. The gift of God\u2019s love and life is an ongoing, ever-present, never-ending reality.<br \/>As we move toward the Altar this weekend at Mass, think about that ongoing gift of God\u2019s only Son. We come to the altar to receive the gift of God\u2019s only Son, Jesus, body, blood, soul and divinity. God wants to continue to pour His love and His life upon the world in and through us. As we become what we receive, the Body of Christ, we are to become channels of God\u2019s love and God\u2019s life in our world, in our families and in our environments, where we live and move and have our being. We have been set free from the bondage of sin and death for this mission entrusted to us by Jesus Himself! It is both an incredible gift and an awesome responsi-bility!<br \/>And so we pray, come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>In Christ,<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-588 aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-1024x262.png 1024w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature.png 1401w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34bae4f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"34bae4f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Personal Witness<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa924a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aa924a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/3?16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>John 3:16<\/strong><\/span><\/a> is the most well-known and quoted verses in all of Sacred Scripture. In some ways it sums up the Gospels and the entirety of Sacred Scripture. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son\u2026 This is the quotation that you see on signs and holy cards. After seeing this quotation published so often I thought that this was John 3:16. John 3:16 does not end there, however, there is a camma. \u2026so that everyone who believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. Only in its entirety does the verse encapsulate all of Scripture. It is about God\u2019s gift, the primacy of Grace, and our response to that gift.<br \/>I grew up in a small tight-knit farming community. Everyone was Catholic and belonged to the local country parish. One of our neighbors left the Catholic Church and became evangeli-cal. Shortly thereafter a huge billboard appeared on their barn. It was the first half of John 3:16. The beginning of that verse always prompts me to complete the sentence in my head, so that those who believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. In John\u2019s Gospel faith equals eternal life. John would later sum up his Gospel as follows: But these things are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/20?21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(Jn 20:21<\/strong><\/span><\/a>). So, the question is, what does it mean to believe? Is it a creed that we recite at Mass? Is it a system of convictions that we hold in our hearts?<br \/>As I was contemplating my neighbors who left the Catholic Church, I was wondering what prompted them to leave. How can we say we believe in Jesus and not seem to believe in what He said and taught? How can we say that we believe in the words of Jesus as quoted in the third chapter of John and not believe in His words captured three chapters later in <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/john\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>John 6<\/strong><\/span><\/a>? What about those poignant words to St. Peter on the rock of Cesareo Philippi, Peter you are Rock and upon this Rock I will build My Church?<br \/>As I reflect on what it means to believe as revealed to us in Sacred Scripture it occurs to me that real faith is much more than a creed or a system of convictions that we adhere to, it is about a relationship with a person, and that person is Jesus. It is about a deep personal relationship that involves a deep abiding love and an indwelling presence. Recall in John Chapter 3 that Je-sus is speaking to Nicodemus and He tells him that he must be born from above, i.e. born of the Spirit. At the Last Supper Jesus again spoke of this indwelling Spirit. Belief is about opening ourselves to the Spirit and remaining connected to the Spirit. It is the Spirit that gives life. Je-sus says that those who believe might have eternal life. He is speaking of a present reality, something that we grasp in the here and now. And because God is the source of that life, that life is eternal.<\/p><p>In Christ,<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-588 aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"77\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-1024x262.png 1024w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/signature.png 1401w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f44b3c8 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"f44b3c8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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Reflections<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e4f3155 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"e4f3155\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-22b3a45 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"23575\" data-id=\"22b3a45\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" 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class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI first encountered Fr. Glenn\u2019s preaching on Ash Wednesday, 2006.\u00a0 It only took one homily, and my family and I realized that Fr. Glenn has a very special gift.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn is clearly very spiritual, and that comes through in all of his homilies and reflections.\u00a0 His spirituality is not aloof, or inaccessible.\u00a0 His holiness is authentic, grounded, accessible and on fire.\u00a0 And, that fire is shared, such that the listener also becomes on fire, and inspired to go deeper with Scripture, with God and with our neighbor.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn has inspired me to engage at the deepest level and to work to find my spiritual path, always encouraging, mentoring, coaching.\u00a0 I would strongly encourage anyone who can to attend one of his Masses, homilies, or podcasts.\u00a0 Catch the fire of the Holy Spirit working through Fr. Glenn!!!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gf-favicon-01.png\" alt=\"John J Hern Jr.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-testimonial__cite\"><span class=\"elementor-testimonial__name\">John J Hern Jr.<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFr. Glenn has many charisms, which he displays by his compassion, theological intelligence, spirituality, and love of God.  His compassion is continually displayed when he visits the sick of the parish. His manner of prayer and conversation is definitively a gift from God.  His spirituality is very evident when he preaches. His homilies are instructive, encouraging and centered on God\u2019s infinite love for each of us. Fr. Glenn is a teacher, a mentor, and a wonderful listener who encourages those around him to follow Jesus more closely. He is Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-testimonial__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gf-favicon-01.png\" alt=\"Deacon Scott &amp; Claudia Jamieson\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-testimonial__cite\"><span class=\"elementor-testimonial__name\">Deacon Scott & Claudia Jamieson<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Previous\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-left\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M646 125C629 125 613 133 604 142L308 442C296 454 292 471 292 487 292 504 296 521 308 533L604 854C617 867 629 875 646 875 663 875 679 871 692 858 704 846 713 829 713 812 713 796 708 779 692 767L438 487 692 225C700 217 708 204 708 187 708 171 704 154 692 142 675 129 663 125 646 125Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Next\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-right\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M696 533C708 521 713 504 713 487 713 471 708 454 696 446L400 146C388 133 375 125 354 125 338 125 325 129 313 142 300 154 292 171 292 187 292 204 296 221 308 233L563 492 304 771C292 783 288 800 288 817 288 833 296 850 308 863 321 871 338 875 354 875 371 875 388 867 400 854L696 533Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fourth Sunday of Lent &#8211; Year B Reading I 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23In 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\u2019s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.Early and often did the LORD, the God [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-readings"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2014The Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year B - The Gratitude Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/index.php\/2024\/03\/10\/the-fourth-sunday-of-lent-year-b\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2014The Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year B - The Gratitude Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Fourth Sunday of Lent &#8211; 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