Reflection on the Readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent

“My son, my child, you are with me always and all I have is yours.”

We can never ever fathom this mystery of God’s unbounded love for us. He has given us everything. God who is love saying to each one of us:  “you are the recipient of my infinite love. I have sent my Son to live among you as one of yourselves; to die a most horrible death so that you might be with me forever --- if only you would listen and turn to him and accept our merciful and forgiving love.”

For me this morning’s readings at Mass help me to appreciate this tremendous gift. In the 1^st reading the Lord says to Joshua, “Today I have taken away the shame of Egypt from you.” Yes in this day of your baptism (remember it is always the eternal now within the Blessed Trinity) we too have been snatched away from the evil one and given a participation in the life of God Himself.

In the gospel the prodigal father, when his son repents of his sinful life, takes away the shame of his life of debauchery and the disgrace as a Jew of feeding pigs, so we in our turn as we draw close to Jesus and the Father are forgiven and clothed in the splendid robe of grace. Let us repeat over and over again, “it is all God’s work” for he has chosen us to be his very own by letting us live in Christ “who for our sake God the father made the sinless One Jesus into sin so that we might become the goodness of God.”

The responsorial psalm invites us, “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Blessed Julian of Norwich, the English mystic, in contemplating this mystery expresses it beautifully: “By His grace and help let us in spirit stand and gaze, eternally marvelling at the supreme, surpassing, single-minded, incalculable love that God in his goodness has for us. Then we can ask reverently of our lover whatever we will. For by nature our will wants God and the good will of God wants us. We shall never cease wanting and longing until we possess Him in fullness and joy. Then we shall have no further wants. Meanwhile His will is that we go on knowing and loving until we are perfected in heaven.”