LOVE REVEALED IN THE PASCHAL MYSTERIES

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Isa 43:16-21; Ps 126; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11

The Supreme Advantage of knowing Jesus Christ

We ended last week’s reflections on the theme of Devotion to Paschal Mysteries on the note of a deeper understanding of the human-divine origin of the paschal mysteries. We consider the love-foundation of the paschal mysteries. God created the world out of love and redeemed it with the same love. The mystery of God’s love for man is our theme this week. God’s love for his creatures, especially his love for us men, prompts him to devise new ways and methods of coming to our aid in our misery caused by our blindness and ignorance of his love. He recalled the old wonders he worked for the salvation of his people through the prophet Isaiah. “Thus says the Lord, who made a way through the sea, a path in the great waters; who put chariots and horse in the field and a powerful army which lay there never to rise again, snuffed out, put out like a wick.” These incredible works of deliverance were motivated by his love alone, the love for all men, and not just for the people of Israel. He communicated his will to them that they may become a channel through which all men would receive the knowledge of God. Knowledge of God is essential for the good and eternal well-being of man he made in his image. Our knowledge of God is our eternal life, for God created us to know him.

The progressive revelation of God to men had to be through a people but intended for all men, for his love is all-encompassing. Thus, the new works of love were more stupendous than the old. “No need to recall the past, no need to think about what was done before. See, I am doing a new deed, even now it comes to light; can you not see it? Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness, paths in the wilds.” The prophecy is about the work God would do in the hearts of sinners, wild lands overrun by demonic forces, and souls imprisoned in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief. These are the jackals, ostriches, and other wild beasts that will behold the mighty works of God and honour him. The Responsorial Psalm witnesses the fact that these wild beasts represent human beings. The exultation of God is found on the lips of those in slavery to sins and evil at the sight of God’s mighty works. “When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.” The unbelievable works of God for us sinners are the contents of our paschal mysteries. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are sacraments of God’s infinite love and goodness to us.

Saint Paul, in the second reading, prefers to lose everything he has gained to possess the knowledge of these mysteries. His avowal gives us an idea of the importance of these mysteries for our salvation and eternal happiness. “I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him, I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him.” If these mysteries are valuable, why are we not allotting enough time to study and meditate on them? Though the penetration of these mysteries is impossible for mere human strength, we ought to do all within our power to take possession of these mysteries. Since human strength or merit avails nothing in this regard, we must rely on the mercy and love of God, which he never denied to those who ask, seek, and knock. Saint Paul urges us to seek perfection from faith, which only prayer can access. Therefore, the season of Lent is for self-mortification, prayer, and meditation on these mysteries.

The way of prayer and death to self gives us access to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. For Christ to enter within us and illuminate our whole being with his presence, we must give place to him in all things. Saint Paul calls this knowing the death of Jesus Christ, leading to knowledge of his resurrection. “All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead.” Our Lord shows us how to pattern our lives on his death. Living for self alone and not for God leads to persecuting others by our ignorant judgment of their actions and motives. He invited the woman caught in adultery to pattern her life on him. “He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus go away, and do not sin anymore.’” God, as we noted yesterday, does not consider sinners enemies but as his children imprisoned by evil in the darkness of ignorance. When we seek to kill a sinner, we display our ignorance of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Let us sincerely pray for God’s grace to come to the knowledge of the mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ and his love for us, and like Saint Paul, be found in him and enjoy his resurrection from death.

Let us pray: By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.