Homily: Fourth Wednesday of Lent

Fourth Wednesday of Lent (Jn. 5:17-30) “Where Am I Headed?”

“The hour is coming.” “My hour has not come.” Jesus alludes to “his hour” repeatedly in the Gospel of John. We will hear that allusion many times over the next few weeks in our Gospel reading as Good Friday and Easter Sunday approaches.

We may have asked the question a number of times as we have lived our lives. What is my destiny? Many figures in history have had a sense of destiny and they have done things that have changed the world. We hear stories of how they showed tremendous potential from a young age. Some of our presidents were said to be gifted as children. Legends about Lincoln and Washington abound. Lincoln was always honest. Washington never told a lie. We are left with the impression that they were born to lead.

Jesus seemed to have a sense of destiny in the Gospel of John. In the other three gospels Jesus seems to be pushed along by forces that are beyond his control at times. In the Gospel of John, however, Jesus seems to be able to see into the future. He is the prime mover in the gospel story. He waits until the moment of his choice to enter his passion experience. At least that is how John makes it sound.

As we reflect on Jesus’ life, we can ask ourselves, once again, what our destiny is? What hour are we working toward? All Christians have a common purpose. We are to know, love, serve and worship God. We also have the common goal of being happy with our Lord forever in the next life. This many seem like a simple answer.

But we must wonder if many people grasp it. A lot of people today seem to fall into despair. It seems they don’t know why they are in this world. Many people feel like they are cast adrift. What if they had faith that their life could be caught up in the Christian story? What if they felt that everything is leading into eternal bliss? If we grasped that we might look forward to the next hour with confidence.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Do I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose? Do I look at that question from a Christian perspective?

2.   Does my faith have an impact on my daily life? How does my faith make life easier?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Tonight, we will be having a simple soup supper after the Stations of the Cross. After the supper we will be having another video concerning the Eucharistic Revival. This is another opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist in our lives.

          Be advised that we have moved into our new Reconciliation Room. This room is located in the hallway leading into the gathering space. Having Reconciliation in this space allows those who cannot climb steps to be able to celebrate the sacrament. This also provides a little more privacy. The room off the sacristy was not soundproof and there were always a lot of people congregating in that area.

          May Our Lady pray for us as we make our Lenten journey.

          Fr. Mark