Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
NOT TO CONDEMN BUT TO SAVE
Introduction
God sent his only Son into the world to save us. Salvation. Do we need salvation? We have become so self-sufficient and proud of our human achievements that we often think that salvation belongs to another world – not ours. But when in our sober moments, we sit down and reflect, we have to face deeper realities: which achievements? For what? Have they made us happier? Have we made the world a better place to live in? And then, we realize that we cannot do it alone. We need salvation – from ourselves, from our achievements, from our so-called progress. And then, we become grateful for Jesus, not merely a person-for-others, but God’s Son, who is with us and who can still get us out of the mess we are often making.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
you loved the world – that is us – so much
that you gave us your only Son
to save us from ourselves
and to give us eternal life.
Do not condemn us Lord,
do not leave us to ourselves
and to our little schemes,
but give us your Son now to stay with us
and to make love, justice and peace
ever new realities among us,
your people reborn in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
“We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
“The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people.”
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3,4-5 6-7,8-9
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia: Jn 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Jn 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten 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-begotten 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.
Intercessions
– That like God, the Church may love the world so as to make Jesus known to all and him to all peoples far and near, we pray:
– That those who cannot believe in God because life is very hard to them, may see God’s love reflected in good people, we pray:
– That we may not condemn anyone, but accept people the way God accepts us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
as your Son, Jesus Christ, is present here
and shares himself with us at his table,
may he also be present in our lives
and be the meaning of all we do.
May we learn from him
to do what we are incapable of when left to ourselves:
to forget injuries and to pardon enemies,
to be patient with those who do not understand,
to bring freedom to those who do not appreciate it.
Let Jesus work all this in us,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, you hear the cry of the poor,
you sent your Son into the world
not to condemn it but to save it.
Give us the strength not to condemn
but to build up,
not to judge, but to heal and help,
not to curse, but to bless.
And when our clumsy efforts fail us,
remind us that your Son stays with us
and that he can do better, even through us,
than we could ever dare to expect.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn it. With Jesus and through him, we are part of that plan. May the Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection:
10 April 2024
John 3: 16-21
God so loved the world …
We continue to read from the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of John. Even if you fail to remember any other verse from the Gospel, today, we got one to learn it by heart, and it should form the heart of our faith in Jesus. John 3:17: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.” The passage speaks of the great height, breadth and width of God’s love. God’s love isn’t limited to just a few nor a particular group of people; rather, it embraces all of creation, including you and me.
Do parents keep an account of all the sacrifices they make for their children? True love does not count the cost; It leads one to make sacrifices willingly and joyfully. A true lover gives one’s beloved everything one has and the best one has to offer. God proved his love for us by giving us the best he had — his only Son -Jesus. And Jesus donates his life – sacrifices his life to make us live healthily.
God’s giving of his only Son to the world has the sense of entrusting His most precious gift to the often violent and murderous world. God’s gentleness is not dependent on how the world responds. This trust of God in humanity also illustrates his readiness to face the vulnerability of loving.
God is a loving Father who cannot rest until his wandering children have returned home. Saint Augustine said that God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love. However, God allows us to choose whom and what we will love.
We can love the darkness of sin and unbelief or the light of God’s truth, beauty, and goodness. While writing the Gospel over five decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus, John was aware that not many people could recognise the love of God the Father, and they preferred to stay in the darkness of their sins. Like Nicodemus, who came from the darkness, could not accept the light of Christ in the beginning. Therefore he slowly disappeared into the darkness.
And that is a reality today as well. Do we love God above everything else? Does God take first place in our life, thoughts, and actions?