THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent, 2022

Isa 65:17-21

Ps 30

John 4:43-54

Fullness of Life

In the first reading (Is. 65:17-21), the Lord speaking through the prophet Isaiah says of the city of Jerusalem that had been besieged some years before, ‘No more will the sound of weeping or the sound of cries be heard in her; in her, no more will be found the infant living a few days only, or the old man not living to the end of his days… They will build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit’. This is God’s desire for the ruined city of Jerusalem. 

It is hard not to think of the cities of Ukraine when we hear those words. God’s desire for Jerusalem is also God’s desire for every city, and, yet, so often what the powerful desire for the cities of the earth is far removed from God’s desire. When the powerful of the world seek to promote their own kingdom, it usually inhibits the coming of God’s kingdom to earth, a kingdom where God’s justice and peace reigns. The God in whom we believe is a God of life, not a God of death. Jesus was the fullest revelation possible in human form of the God of life. He was the supreme life-giver.

 In today’s gospel reading (Jn 4:43-54), he declares to an official at the court of Herod Antipas, who came to him pleading for his seriously ill son, ‘Go, your son will live’. The official trusted in Jesus’ word of promise and his trust was vindicated; his son recovered from his life-threatening fever. Jesus will declare in this gospel of John that he came so that we may have life and have it to the full. Fullness of life is our ultimate destiny, a sharing in God’s own life. Yet, Jesus intends that we have a foretaste of eternal life in this present earthly life; his deepest desire is that something of the kingdom of heaven would come to earth. He looks to us his followers to be channels of his life-giving presence in the here and now. They will often mean standing up to those who are intent on inflicting death on others.

Let us pray: O God, we are sorry for the many times we have failed to heed your call to repentance. Help us heal our land and heal us too of our infirmities and our cravings. Amen

+Remain blessed