Sunday Gospel Reflection
God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son

Introduction: Darkness and Light

Have you ever been in the "dark" about something? What happened when a "light" was thrown on the subject?

Confusion. Times we're clueless. Subjects in which we pray for "enlightenment," a journey away from "darkness."

It's easy to use the analogies of "light" and "darkness" when academic notions are discussed. "Light" is mastery of the subject. "Darkness" is ignorance. However, when we apply these analogies to the faith and morality, we can no longer speak of "light" as mastery, but as commitment. "Light" becomes faithfulness. "Darkness" becomes rejection.

In Jesus' discourse to Nicodemus, he spoke of "light" and "darkness." But, the light was not the believer's commitment to God. The "Light" was Christ, the Father's commitment to his creation.

First Reading
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
14 All the leading priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place;    
16 but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, till the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, till there was no remedy.
...
19 And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels.
20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
23 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.'"

Second Reading
Ephesians 2:4-10

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God-
9 not because of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them

Gospel Reading
John 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus the Pharisee:
14 Just as Moses lifted the (bronze) snake up in the desert, so it is necessary for the SON of MAN to be lifted up,
15 that all believing in HIM might have eternal life (in HIM).
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave (his) only begotten SON, that all trusting in him might not be destroyed but might have eternal life.
17 For God did not send the SON into the world that he might judge (against) the world, but that the world might be saved through HIM.
18 The one (placing his) trust into HIM is not judged, but the one not (placing) trust is already judged, because he has not trusted in the name of the only begotten SON of God.
19 This is the judgment: that light has come into the world and men loved the dark rather than the light, for their works were evil.
20 Everyone practicing foul (deeds) hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works might not be shown (and rejected). 
21 But, the one acting true comes to the light so his works might be shown that (they) are worked in God.

Bible Study/Meditation

If God was looking for a chance to condemn the world it is not for want of opportunities that he has not already done so. Beginning with the rebellion of Adam and Eve, continuing throughout the history of Israel's rebellion, and proceeding all the way through to our own, God has had ample opportunity to pull the plug on his disobedient creation. But he hasn't. So, rather than needing an excuse to destroy us, the real enigma is, what excuse does he have for saving us? This week's readings provide answers to these questions.

Often because we are conscious of our guilt we feel like we deserve God's wrath, not his love. Frequently, when terrible things happen to us, we sub-consciously believe that it is God's punishment that is finally being meted out-which isn't true. Often we also try to offset this sense of condemnation by doing things to warrant God's love-which we can't. God's feelings toward each of us are captured quite effectively by three phrases in this week's Scriptures; "The great love with which he loved us,"-"the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us"-"God so loved the world." These and many more expressions of God's feelings toward us were all present and made before we did anything to merit them. That is what makes the Good News, Good News. God freely bestows his love on us who least deserve it.

The whole issue of what we can do to warrant his love and earn his salvation can be illustrated by the following imaginary convers-ation encountered when a person died and desired to enter heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets this person at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." "Okay," the man says. "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart." "That's wonderful," says St. Peter, " that's
worth three points." "Three points?" the man says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministries with my tithe and service." "Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point." "One point? I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." "Fantastic, that's good for two more points," St. Peter says. "Two points!" the man cries. "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God." "Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"

Humorously, the story makes the point, however this statement  by Pope John Paul II speaks with much more authority: "... we must clearly affirm our faith in Christ, the one Savior of humanity, a faith we have received as a gift from on high, not as a result of any merit of our own ... They should be ever mindful that 'they owe their distinguished status not to their own merit but to Christ's special grace...'" -Bingo! Could it be said more clearly?

Condemnation is the other side of the same coin. If salvation from condemnation is a gift freely given us in Jesus Christ, then condemnation becomes something of our own choosing when we refuse to accept the gift. God is a perfect gentleman, he will not force salvation on us. John's Gospel says, "He who does not believe is condemned already." The presupposition behind this statement is that when a person has heard the story of Jesus' saving mission, and then makes a choice to either disbelieve the story, or believing the story to not entrust their life to him, they expedite their own condemnation. God desires condemnation for no one, which is why he paid such a costly price to deliver us. "He who believes is not condemned." Hallelujah, what good news!!

Reflections:

· Please re-read the phrase(s)/sentence(s) that move(s)/touche(s)   you and what inner message of the heart is the Spirit whispering   to you ?

. Throughout this study, we have seen analogies. Light vs. dark. Acquitted vs. judged. Saved vs. condemned. Analogies make understanding easier, especially in the moving themes of John. Unfortunately, analogies sometimes break down when we are faced with real life. There is, however, one constant, unchanging factor in our faith life: God's faithfulness to us. God invites us to respond in kind. His invitation is his Son, the One he gave to the world.
  ----Do you accept the faithfulness we find in his Son?
  ----Do you commit yourself to return his faithfulness?
  ----Reflect on God's faithfulness to you. How has his faithfulness opened your eyes? How will it guide you this next week?

.Let us reexamine our attitude and mentality during our life of the past month. Let us be honest to ourselves and reflect the priority we have given to Christ and His will. Is Christ the "light" in our life, or is He just one of the "lights", such as the "light" of arrogance, the "light" of acquired wealth, the "light" of power, the "light" of hatred, etc.. Are we ready to bet our life on the "light" of Christ?

.Let us reflect on the true motives that keep us from embracing the "light" of Christ in our life. Does it make us loving someone that we want to hate? Does it make us realize that we have our own priority? Or is that because we are afraid that it will make clear the evil of our ways?

."God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" is a declaration of God's love to humankind. The agony of rejection is rather a common human experience. Contemplate over the agony that God has to bear over the way we use our freedom - a gift from God - to reject His love and His desire to restore goodness in mankind.

.Salvation is belief in God accompanied by works done in God. "Belief in Jesus" and "works done in God" must go together. Let us reflect on the occasions when we lost our faith in God, and ask ourselves how often our works were done in God.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, your death brought life for us. May your love consume and transform my life that I may desire you above all else. Help me to love what you love, to desire what you desire, and to reject what you reject.