Collect for Fourth Sunday Lent Year B

 

COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT 

The Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Lent Year B reads as follows:

O God, who through Your Word

reconcile the human race to Yourself, in a wonderful way,

grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith

the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebration to come.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What is my relationship to Jesus?
2. What does the death and resurrection of Jesus mean to me?
3. What does it mean to have an eager faith and prompt devotion?
4. What is my attitude towards the upcoming solemnity of Easter?  Is it just a holiday or do I enter into the Triduum fully in my parish?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Gospel for today is from St. John 3:14-21. We meet   Nikodemus whose mind was partly open to Jesus, as  he was moved by the  teaching and miracles of Jesus.  He also defended Jesus when his companions wanted to arrest Jesus.  He assisted to ensure that Jesus had a proper burial when his enemies had him put to death.   There is no mention of him in the first Christian community of Jerusalem. What held him back, what kept. Him from giving himself fully to Jesus who spoke so kindly and told him so clearly that he himself was indeed a teacher who had come from God, that he had been offered by God as the sacrificial victim who would save the world? All Nicodemus had to do was to accept his word, "believe in him" and be baptized and he too would have eternal life.

Why did he not do this? The answer is given in the beginning of his story "He came to Jesus by night." He was one of the leading Pharisees and evidently was afraid of what they would think of him had they seen him associating with Jesus. How much more so did he dread what their reactions would be had he become a follower of him whom they called "this impostor." Nicodemus had only half of his mind open to the truth, the other half was closed and barred by his fear of what his own class—the leaders of the Jews—would think of him. He risked his own future happiness in order not to lose the present respect of his sinful associates.

The Gospel invites us to reflect on how open is our mind to Jesus.  It challenges us to consider how we are following Christ.  Are we afraid of what others may think of us if we live our faith eagerly and with devotion?   Do we defend or stand up for their religion when it is insulted and attacked in their place of work or in a saloon?  Sadly, many Catholics stand idly by, and give at least tacit approval, when grave injustices are being carried out by individuals or by local or national groups. These and many more like them are Christian types of Nicodemus, who through fear of losing the approval, the worthless esteem, of their sinful associates, are prepared to forfeit the esteem of God and their own eternal welfare.

Nicodemus probably thought he had made reparation for his lack of openness to Jesus when he assisted at his burial. What value, however, had that work of mercy for one of his frame of mind?

The Gospel also highlights the need for the two fold commitment to the commandment of love, namely love of God and love of neighbour.  There are many people who help their neighbour but sadly do not honour God.   What we need to realise is that humanism or concentrating on our neighbour to the exclusion of God, is a false imitation of religion. Helping our neighbour because he is a son of God is part of our true religion, and the second of the two great commandments of love; but helping a neighbour from whom we have effaced the image of God has not and cannot have any religious value or significance whatever.

As we journey through Lent we need to review our journey so far.  We need to recommit to accepting Christ with our whole heart, mind and soul.  We need to reflect on those areas of our lives where we still hesitate.   It is through Jesus that we have learned to love God and learned of God's infinite love for us.

 

LAUTARE SUNDAY

In Lent, we have the tradition to have a mid-Lent break, (the half way point of Lent), which is known as 'Laetare' Sunday derived from the latin 'to rejoice'. Liturgically we break away from the Lenten penitential spirit of the purple vestments to the wearing of rose-coloured vestments by the priest and/or deacon.  These rose-coloured vestments are only worn twice a year, so from a practical perspective, some parishes do not have a set, but use lighter purple vestments.

This is a great opportunity to review and tweak our Lenten journey. and to recommit to loving Jesus fully  by our works of penance, prayer and almsgiving.