Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A (Laetare Sunday) – March 22, 2020

Readings: 1 Sam 16:1b,6-7,10-13a; Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a.3b-4.5.6(R.1);

 Eph. 5:8-14 & Gospel Jn. 9:1-14 Or Jn. 9:1.6-9.13-17.34-38.

Theme: God Chooses the Weak to Shame the Strong!

Sunday Synopsis

Laetare (rejoice) Sunday is considered as a day of relaxation from the normal rigors of Lent as Easter is insight. The first reading (1 Sam 16:1b,6-7,10-13a) recounts how God shows preference for the youngest son of Jesse, David amidst his older siblings. In the second reading (Eph. 5:8-14) St. Paul urges the faithful to be to be sons and daughters of light through living in complete goodness. The gospel (Jn. 9:1-14) tells how Jesus turned the darkness of lack of sight suffered by the blind man, Bartemaeus into a life-changing experience. Our liturgy urges us to rejoice as the Easter Season approaches.

Introduction

Friends in Christ, today is Laetare or Rejoice Sunday. The fourth Sunday of Lent is referred to as Laetare Sunday because the Latin words of the Introit “Laetare Jerusalem” (Rejoice, O Jerusalem) from Isaiah 66:10 appears in the entrance antiphon at Mass in the Western Christian Liturgical Calendar. As we continue our annual Lenten Observances of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, the Church bids us rejoice because our redemption is near. Laetare Sunday is considered as a day of relaxation from the normal rigors of Lent as Easter is insight. Traditionally, weddings which are usually discouraged during the period of Lent are performed on Laetare Sunday. To further authenticate “Rejoice Sunday,” servants were released from their Master’s Service to visit their mothers which is why in some Churches, Mothering Sunday is held on this day.

Background and Summary of the Readings 

The first reading (1 Sam 16:1b,6-7,10-13a) recounts how God shows preference for the youngest son of Jesse, David amidst his older siblings. The favour God shows to David is also demonstrated in the lives of the Israelites who despite being a small nation enjoyed divine blessings to the dismay of Gentile nations like Egypt and Babylon (Deut 7:7-8). In the end, we are told that the boy of fresh complexion with fine eyes and pleasant bearing was anointed with the horn of oil where he stood with his brothers and the spirit of God rested upon him from that day forward.

In the second reading (Eph. 5:8-14), St. Paul urges the faithful to be to be sons and daughters of light through living in complete goodness, right living and truth. He encourages believers to discover what is right and keep at it even as they avoid the futile works of darkness. He also invites them to expose evil and stop doing things in secret as these are things that people are often ashamed of. He notes that anything that is exposed by light is illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. Paul surmised thus: “Wake up from your sleep, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”  

The gospel (Jn. 9:1-14) tells how Jesus turned the darkness of lack of sight suffered by the blind man, Bartemaeus into a life-changing experience. His disciples had insinuated that the man was born blind because he or his parents had sinned. Jesus rebuked them and indicated that he is the light of the world. he then went ahead to make paste with his spittle to put into the man’s eyes with the order: “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” The text disclosed that the man obeyed and came back with his sight restored. It also revealed how the man born-blind, first referred to Jesus as “the man” (Vs11) then, “Prophet” (Vs17) and “man of God” (Vs33) before he finally called Him “Lord” (Vs38). Apparently, the blind man’s faith grew from the ordinary to the extraordinary because he knew what he wanted and he went for it believing that he would get it - he also knew he was a no-body but Jesus was going to make him whole again.

Pastoral Lessons

1. God Chooses the Weak to Shame the Strong: God’s preference for the youngest son of Jesse, David amidst his older siblings demonstrates that God has a way of making small things great and the fact that sometimes he chooses the weak to shame the strong.

2. God Looks at the Heart: We must realize that “God does not see as human beings see; humans look at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam.16:7).

3. God Loves Children of Light: In the second reading, Paul challenges us to wake up from our sleep; rise from the dead and let Christ shine on us for God loves children of light. 

4. God Chances Our Narrative: Since Jesus turned the darkness of Bartemaeus in the gospel (Jn. 9:1-14) into a life-changing experience, he can change our mourning into rejoicing – Remember that: David was an adulterer and murderer, Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Pharaoh was a Problem, Gideon was afraid; Samson was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, Jonah ran from God; Job went bankrupt, Peter denied Christ, The disciples felt asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, Mary Magdalene was a professional prostitute, The Samaritan woman was divorced over five times;  Zacchaeus was too short, Paul was a fanatic and Lazarus died but God changed their stories; he can change your story too from zero to hero.  

5. God Loves the Humble and Courageous: Although he knew he was a no-body, Bartemaeus trusted that Jesus would heal him and it happened - despite the discouragement of the Pharisees he believed that Jesus was a Prophet – in like manner, until we are nothing and are courageous, God cannot make anything out of us.

6. God Loves Nature: By making a paste with spittle to cure the blind man, Jesus teaches us that God loves nature and that we have a big role to play as co-creators who are called to preserve the earth.

7. God Calls us to Grow Our Faith: By referring Jesus as “the man” (Vs11), “Prophet” (Vs17); “man of God” (Vs33) and “Lord” (Vs38) in giving testimony to the Pharisees, Bartemaeus teaches us to grow our faith from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

8. God Urges Us to Seek Cure and Salvation: By saying, “Lord, I believe,” and “Worshipping Him” (Vs38), the man blind teaches us to not only seek cure for our physical ailments or blindness but also seek salvation of souls or cure for our spiritual blindness as that is what matters the most.

9. God Abhors Self-Pity: Instead of giving in to self-pity or a complacent life, we are reminded that God abhors self-pity.

Summary Lines

1. The first reading recounts how God shows preference for the youngest son of Jesse, David amidst his older siblings.

2. In the second reading St. Paul urges the faithful to be to be sons and daughters of light through living in complete goodness.

3. The gospel tells how Jesus turned the darkness of lack of sight suffered by the blind man, Bartemaeus into a life-changing experience.

4. Jesus rebuked them and indicated that he is the light of the world.

5. The blind man’s faith grew from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Conclusion

Our liturgy shows that God uses the weak and the lowly to shame the strong. It also demonstrates how God keeps calling sinners to sanctify themselves and the world. St. Paul says: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10).  As such, he does not call the qualified but qualifies the called; He does not call the fit, He fits the called. The gospel is indeed the way to true freedom which is sadly derided as captivity.

Friends in Christ, as someone noted: They saw your past, they have not seen your future; they saw your failure, they have not seen your success; they saw your tears, they have not seen your laughter; they saw your sorrow, they have not seen your joy; they saw your accident, they have not seen your recovery; they have seen your weakness, they are yet to see your strength; they have seen you sick, they will see you well again; they have seen you down, you shall rise again. Rejoice because God chooses the weak to shame the strong. Have a terrific week!