Fourth Sunday of Lent/B
Massimo Palombella
Today’s day is called “Laetare” Sunday from the first word of the Introit. Today it is possible to use pink vestments instead of purple ones (as in the “Gaudete” Sunday in Advent), to decorate the altar with flowers and to use the organ for more than just the accompaniment of the songs. The objective of all this is to remind us of the proximity of Easter and thus refresh us in our Lenten journey.
In today’s Gospel (John 3: 14-21) Jesus twice states that whoever believes in Him has eternal life.
Faith, “believing in God”, is a gift and at the same time a journey that necessarily implies our freedom. In fact, there is a faith from when we were children, adolescents, young people, adults… And faith, if authentic, should intertwine, merge, illuminate, orientate the fundamental questions of life related to our age.
Believing in God’, then, should illuminate the not easy construction of an indentation in a young person in the search for what God wants from him, the professional choices of an adult with criteria that cannot be reduced to the economic sphere alone, the educational choices of being a parent, the decisions on how to invest our free time, on how to place ourselves again in retirement…
Basically, faith, if authentic, is a slow and continuous handing over of our life to the Lord, a journey where everything, our fears, insecurities, uncertainties, capacities… Everything is entrusted, handed over to the Lord so that He can lead us where our good is, so that He can educate our desires towards what is our true good.
The “eternal life” of which Jesus speaks is the fullness of humanity, it is the “life in abundance” where faith, if authentic, can truly lead us. Faith is a gift, but its development, its growth, its maturation is our responsibility, and it is the key to the true quality of our lives.
The Offertory antiphon for today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 134 (Ps 134, 3.6) with the following text:
“Laudate Dominum, quia benignus est;
psallite nomini eius, quoniam suavis est.
Omnia quaecumque voluit, fecit in caelo et in terra.”
(Praise the Lord, for he is loving;
sing in honour of his name, for he is gracious.
He has accomplished whatever he resolved to do in heaven and on earth).
The attached music, in Gregorian Chant, is taken from the Graduale Triplex published in Solesmes in 1979. The interpretation is by the ‘Consortium Vocale’ conducted by Alexander M. Schweitzer. The music track can be found on the CD ‘Exaudiam Eum – Gregorian Chant for Lent and Holy Week‘ published by Lindberg Lyd in 2007.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
