Gospel Reflection for 4th Sunday of Lent – 11th March 2018

“No one who believes in Him will be condemned” – Jn 3:18

Recently I am just back from the funeral of my grandfather, while there is always sadness in parting with one that we love, I suggest as his grandchildren he left us amazement. He lived to be 96 years of age, he and his late wife were blessed with 14 children, with 92 grandchildren and 84 great grandchildren. All of us saw a real testament in his life to following the Truth, as if he really wanted to follow the true light. Without judging I cannot but help thing of contrasting new events, especially in recent times. If you look at the example of the recent shootings at the school in Florida, we see the example of a young life with I presume much potential. Yet his life is so different, it seems he prefers to listen to a very different voice calling for attention, or as if he didn’t want to follow the same true light.

We learn again in the gospel of the infinite love of God for us, which always wants us to respond to this love, to this Truth, which St John describes as a light against the darkness of evil. God wants us to freely respond, because if our response is to be forced, then it cannot be our own free response. He can make it as attractive as possible, He can constantly try to direct us to the correct response, but we have to be the ones to freely respond. In the very way we respond we are showing whether we are on the side of Truth, or if we are on the side of falsehoods. In such a battle we do have to take sides, we are not able to stay sitting on the fence or both sides. The more we respond to either good or evil, then the more we will want to respond in either direction.

Therefore I think its fair to say inside each of us is a tension, or as St Augustine said; “A restfulness”, where we all seek to find happiness. Isn’t there something beautiful in the soul that searches for the Truth, the soul who doesn’t always know the right way, but is humble enough to ask at least for directions? For various different reasons others souls seem more selfish, they seem to develop a more independent nature, or as the gospel says; “they prefer darkness to the light”. Today it can be hard to always want to be directed to the light, to the Truth, the darkness at times is more attractive for us, but only the light, the Truth is the only way to true peace.