Homily For the Fourth Sunday Of Lent Year B.

2 Chronicles 36:14-16.19-23; Psalm 137:1-6; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21.

“REBUILDING THE RUINS OF OUR LIVES!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the fourth Sunday of Lent which is traditionally known as the ‘Laetare Sunday’ which means ‘to rejoice’ taken from the Latin translation of Isaiah 66:10-11, it sets the tone of joyful anticipation of the Easter mysteries. The joy is that assurance that our salvation is close at hand.

·      The joy of today’s celebration also comes from the fact that God does not completely abandon us for our sins. He does not banish us forever. Today he promises to build us and to fashion us anew into the image of righteousness and faithfulness. 

·      In the first reading (2 Chronicles 36:14-16.19-23), when the sons and daughters of God had failed to keep God’s commandments, he did not abandon them to their sinfulness. God continued to go in search of them, finding ways to bring them back to himself. Prophets after prophets, priests after priests, messengers after messengers were sent but the people went farther away from God due to their stubbornness of heart and unfaithfulness.

·      God always has a way to break history to save his people. Today, God put it in the heart of a pagan King Cyrus the king of Persia through the prophecy of Jeremiah to rebuild the temple of God and to gather his people once again in the temple for true worship and righteousness.

·      Friends in Christ, the rebuild of the temple in Jerusalem by an unlikely person is a reminder from God of the need for us to quickly rebuild ourselves with the clay of righteousness because we are created in the image and likeness of God and we are the temples of God’s spirit.

·      We too like the people of Israel, at various times rejected God’s words and lawlessly departed from his commandments, we have rejected prophets, priests, and God’s messengers choosing to do our will and not the will of God. As a result of these, we have suffered disappointments, setbacks, abandonment, rejection, oppression, etc. We have travelled alone without God.

·      We must let the word of God stir up true repentance in our hearts, we must let his word inspire new change, it must lead us to make a decision to rebuild ourselves and to renounce our sins. While it is not easy to break away from stubborn habits, it is not completely impossible. God today offers us the graces to make that decision and to return to him.

·      The second reading (Ephesians 2:4-10), gives us another reason why we should be truly joyful on a Sunday like this. The reading tells us that while it is true and disappointing that we have offended God who loves us so much, he still does not abandon us to our fate or leave us to die, he continues to go in search of us until we return to him.

·      The graces of God have saved us not by our own doings, but by the merits of the love of God. Salvation is the shared gift of God to us; it is not something we have worked for or merited. It is the prerogative of God and his own divine initiative that you and I be saved. We must not boast nor take credit for it but remain loyal and grateful to God through our way of life.

·      The gospel reading (John 3:14-21), is the crown of today’s readings. What would our lives have turned to if God did not love us as his children? What would have been our fate if God acted like a man? What would have happened to us if the Justice of God supersedes his mercies? What would have been our destiny if the anger of God overrides his graciousness and compassion?

·      It is out of this infinite love and mercy of God that he sent his only and beloved son to die for our sins. His death on the cross became a fulfilment of the Old Testament command that anyone who looked to the serpent placed on the standard would be saved and not perish. We too must look up to Jesus Crucified, we must constantly meditate on the price he paid for us on the cross of Calvary and repent of our sins.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, the death of Jesus on the cross is not for our condemnation but for our redemption. He was condemned that we might be redeemed, he died that we might have life in abundance, that is great hope and assurance that if we repent of our sins we will live again. That should be the greatest source of our joy!

·      We must realize that we have been given a moment of grace to renounce sin and embrace righteousness because he who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, God is calling us to something deeper. God is calling us to a greater and deeper relationship that comes from knowing and loving him back. Any joy that is outside of God is usually short-lived and laden with regrets, hence today we must listen to the appeal of God and repent of our sins and rebuild the ruins of our lives.

·      May the good Lord bless his words in our hearts, through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!