by Fr. Julius C. Lupot
UST Graduate School
READINGS: 2 Chronicles 36: 14-16. 19-23 / Psalm 137: 1-2. 3. 4-5. 6 / Ephesians 2: 4-10
JOHN 3: 14-21
HIS WORD…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. my words…We are now on the Fourth Sunday of Lent and we are nearing the Holy Week Celebration which is the apex and mother of all Lenten reflections, meditations, and prayers. And fittingly enough, the gospel of John says so as the apex also of the Good News of salvation history; for in John 3:16, this writer of the Good News summarizes what the GOSPEL is all about:
“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…†= G O S P E L
What does John 3:16 imply? It simply tells us that “Salvation†solely comes from GOD; it is His own initiative, it His own action, it His own offer of salvation to the whole of humanity, it is “purely graceâ€. Hence, our action is simply to RESPOND to God’s grace of salvation by living the life that Jesus has initiated, has done, and has completed for us by His death and resurrection. That is why the Holy Week Reflections, Meditations, and Prayers are centered on this great summary of St. John the Evangelist. It is indeed a very comprehensive recapitulation of what God has done for us, sinners; restoration of “life†for us who are dead in sin.
Brothers and Sisters, LIFE is a gift from God. Saving our life is also a gift from Him. What more can we do than to be FAITHFUL to HIM for He has given us everything that is good. That is why EASTER SUNDAY is a “victory†for us. Jesus Christ has won life for us by His resurrection from the dead. And that is the greatness of God’s love for all of us.
Brothers and Sisters, God has given us a gift and for this gift God has also asked us to respond with the challenge to do a “missionâ€â€¦ and the mission is to proclaim that God is so good to us and this challenge of proclaiming God’s goodness should always be centered on His GOSPEL:
“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.†John 3:16
LET US NOW GO… AND PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF LIFE…