Laetare Sunday Homily 2017

Let God’s Light Illuminate the Dark

A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent March 26, 2017

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy

Reformed Catholic Church

www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

I have  come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind’. John 9:39

Christ is the light that brings truth and justice to all who believe, Christ came to enlighten us and to teach us the way to seek our happiness here on earth as well as to gain for us Eternal happiness.

 

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians he tells us: “You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that it is ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. That is why it is said: Wake up from your sleep, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:8 – 14

 

All around us today we see darkness and it is necessary for us to turn on the light to dispel that darkness. So how do we bring the light of truth into the world? We do it by placing our lives in God's hands and by living according to the way Christ taught us.

First we have to acknowledge that every person on the face of this planet is a child of  God and deserves  respect, dignity, compassion and love. 

I recall a quote of Mother Teresa of Calcutta who said; “God told us, "Love your neighbor as yourself." So first I am to love myself rightly, and then to love my neighbor like that. But how can I love myself unless I accept myself as God has made me?”(St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

By accepting our self as God made us and making the best of the gifts God gave us for the benefit of all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we take a huge step toward dispelling the darkness that depresses us and discourages us.

 

The Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday is a prayer attributed to King David.  It is a prayer that, if we say it daily, can remind us of  all God does for us and of how much we need to attempt to return the favor by helping those who are caught in the darkness of discontent, poverty, and illness.  We need to reject the enticement of those who listen to the voice of darkness by seeking only self-glorification, power, money and physical pleasure.

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. He has taken me to green pastures, He has led me to still waters;
He has healed my spirit. He has led me along right paths for his own name’s sake. Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff give me comfort.  You have set a table before me in the sight of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup overflows.
Truly goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. For long years I shall live in the house of the Lord. Psalm 22 (23)

Mother Teresa reminds us: “Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the Darkness”.

In the Chinese Han philosophy the world is divided into two segments,  Yin (Earth) and Yang (Heaven).

Yin is depicted as black or darkness and Yang is depicted by White or light. Many also describe Yin and Yang as being Good and Bad, Day and Night, and all agree that they are in opposition to each other but also they exist in all things, just as the inclination for good and evil exist in every person which may well be that often there is a spot of black in the white and white in the black.

The concept is that people who do not know what bad is cannot know what good is. 

Christ clearly came to enlighten us as to what good is and how we were to act as children of God. Christ came to dispel the darkness.

 

Think about your favorite horror movie and how most evil things that happened did so in the darkness.

 

Safety Officers tell us that having lights around our house at night is a deterrent to thieves. Light dispels darkness and fear and the light Christ brought into the world was a light of truth, justice and God's will for us. 

The Gospel of John 9:1-41 is the story of how Jesus cured the blind man. It is another reminder of how Christ brings light into the world.

A man born blind has lived his entire life in darkness.  The story tells how after Jesus brought sight to the blind man he went to the Synagogue and how the Pharisees claimed Christ was from Satan because he cured the man on the Sabbath “This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath” when they questioned the man's parents they replied thusly “We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.”

In my mind, not much has changed today. There are still people who refuse to acknowledge Christ and some who do select the parts of Christ's teachings that suit their own agenda but reject the most important teaching of Christ “Love one another as I have loved you”.  They do not accept ALL God's children but only those that reflect their skin color, or nationality or social and political orientation.

 

Christ welcomed all who came to Him.  Just as His father will welcome and love ALL His children even those who have wandered away  just like the Prodigal son's father welcomed his son who had strayed away with joy and feasting when he returned humble and sorrowful for his actions. 

God, Our heavenly Father, will always welcome all and forgive all who return to Him with sorrow for their failures.  

When the darkness is dispelled and we walk in the light of Christ, even in the most difficult situations of our life we will be able to find a ray of hope.

The Gospel story ends with these words “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind”

If you were blind you would not be guilty but since you say “We See” Your guilt remains.”

We have been shown the way, the truth and the light through Jesus Christ. This Sunday is Lætare Sunday when the Church interrupts her Lenten mournfulness and instead of purple, rose-colored vestments, flowers adorn the altar and music is often used creating a marked contrast between the other weeks of lent and today.

The word Laetare means “Rejoice” and comes from the Entrance Antiphon for the Mass which is; “Rejoice Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts.”

This Sunday differs from the other Sundays of Lent not only by the brilliant rose vestments and music and even in some cases flowers because it is emblematic of all human life, happiness and joy often  mingled with a certain amount of sadness, just as the Yin and Yang which represent the two forces in the universe, according to a Chinese theory: yin is the passive, negative force, and yang the active, positive force.

I have often said and believed that we can never truly appreciate happiness until we have experienced sadness and the greater our sadness in life so also will be the greater happiness.

The message for this Sunday is one of hope because it speaks of God's truth and the promise of finding truth in the Light of Christ.

As the light of the world, Jesus has come to enlighten people about God and show us the way to gain everlasting life. 

The blind man represents us and Jesus curing the man born blind represents how Jesus Teachings bring the message of God's truth to us and lights our way to salvation if we live our lives in a manner consistent with Christ's teachings.

I close this reflection with the opening prayer for this Sunday: “Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

The Eucharist we receive is the bread of life because it is the Body and Blood of Christ which provides us with the graces or “Spiritual vitamins” to persevere in our journey of following Christ’s light guiding us in our daily lives.

It is not enough for us to say “I believe” we also need to live our faith by through our daily actions reflecting the teachings of Christ.   AMEN