March 13, Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Daily Readings: Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30.
The tone of compassion, mercy and hope continues in the first reading of today. Our God demonstrates Himself to be a motherly father who will never forget his children. The people complain that the Lord has forsaken them and forgotten them, but God assures them that this is not the reality. In this context, God's motherly qualities emerge from the depths of His heart.
The Lord God reminds His people that He has always answered their pleas and has kept up the covenant He had made with them. He has comforted His people and has a special place for those who are suffering. The lack of openness and awareness among the people has ruined their rapport with God. They are blind to what God has achieved in their midst. The Israelites need an hour to realize and declare that the Lord is gracious and merciful. God's kindness and compassion are his fatherly and motherly qualities. He is also faithful in all His dealings!
Jesus enjoyed profound communion with God, like a good-quality fabric with all its beautiful nuances. Upon healing the paralytic (lying down at Bethesda's pool for thirty-eight long years), the Jews are seeking all the more to kill him, but Jesus is unfazed. He does only what His Father does. What Jesus accomplishes is an extension of the Father’s work. He gives life and promotes life.
But every human being is destined to participate in eternal life, which is available only to those who hear the words of Jesus and believe in the Father who sent Jesus into the world. The Jews are not able to understand and accept this fact for a simple reason: their insecurity and fear of losing their power and authority. Their hearts have always been away from God, as they concentrated more on the observance of rules and regulations than human welfare and relationships.
Holy Mother Church honors the memory of the martyr St. Euphrasia of Constantinople. She is a saint who is known for her humility, meekness, and charity. Whenever she faced temptations in life, she preferred to perform manual labor.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Communion with God is the foundation of Jesus’ ministry. What gives me the strength to live my commitment in whatever role I am expected to carry out?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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