God's lasting fidelity

Fourth Sunday of Lent Year B

Ir-4  Ħadd tar-Randan  Sena B

Messalin B pp 160

Reading 1            2 CHRONICLES 36:14-16, 19-23

In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD's temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy. Their enemies burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword were carried captive to Babylon, where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons until the kingdom of the Persians came to power. All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled." In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!"

L-Ewwel Qari      -      mit-Tieni Ktieb tal-Kronaki 36, 14-16, 19-23

F'dak iż-żmien,  il-kbarat kollha tal-qassisin u l-poplu komplew jindinbu u jagħmlu l-qżiżijiet kollha tal-ġnus, u niġġsu t-Tempju tal-Mulej li hu kien qaddes f'Ġerusalemm.  U billi ġietu ħasra mill-poplu tiegħu, u mill-għamara tiegħu,  il-Mulej, Alla ta' missirijiethom, kien ta' sikwit jibgħat  iwiddibhom bil-messaġġiera tiegħu.    Iżda huma kienu  jiddieħku bil-mibgħutin tiegħu, imaqdru kliemu, u jkasbru  l-profeti tiegħu, sa ma saħnet il-korla tal-Mulej għall-poplu tiegħu,  hekk li ma setgħux jeħilsuha aktar.   U ħarqulhom it-Tempju ta'  Alla, ġarrfu s-swar ta' Ġerusalemm, taw in-nar lill-palazzi kollha  tagħha, u hekk qerdulha kull ma kellha prezzjuż.  U dawk li ħelsu mill-qerda tax-xabla, Nabukodonosor eżiljahom lejn il-Babilonja, u baqgħu suġetti għalih u għal uliedu, sa ma ġew jaħkmu fuqhom il-Persjani.   Hekk seħħ dak li qal Alla b'fomm Ġermija:  "Sakemm  tgawdi l-art il-mistrieħ ta' Sibtijietha, ma tinħadimx l-art  iż-żmien  kollu tal-ħerba tagħha, sa ma jgħaddu sebgħin sena". Fl-ewwel sena ta' Ċiru, sultan tal-Persja, biex isseħħ il-kelma tal-Mulej li kienet intqalet b'fomm Ġeramija, il-Mulej qanqal  lil Ċiru, sultan tal-Persja, u dan xandar prokla fis-saltna tiegħu  kollha, saħansitra bil-miktub, li kienet igħid:  "Dan igħid Ċiru  sultan tal-Persja:   "Il-Mulej, Alla tas-sema, tani f'idejja s-saltniet  kollha  ta' l-art, u hu qabbadni nibnilu tempju f'Ġerusalemm, li  hi f'Ġuda.     Kull min minnkom hu mill-poplu  tiegħu,  ħa jkun il-Mulej miegħu, u jitla'." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm              PSALM 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6.

By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.                                   

R.  Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

For there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"         

R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!        

R.  Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.                                 

R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

Salm Responsorjali           -           Salm 136(137)

F'xatt ix-xmajjar ta' Babilonja,

hemm qgħadna bilqiegħda u bkejna,

aħna u niftakru f'Sijon.

Mas-siġar tal-luq tagħha,

dendilna ċ-ċetri tagħna.                                 

R/   Jeħilli lsieni mas-saqaf  ta' ħalqi,  jekk ma niftakarx fik, Ġerusalemm!

Għax hemm, dawk li jassruna,

talbuna ngħannulhom xi għanja;

dawk li hemm għakksuna

stennew minna għana ta' ferħ;

"Għannulna mill-għana ta' Sijon"                    

R/   Jeħilli lsieni mas-saqaf  ta' ħalqi,  jekk ma niftakarx fik, Ġerusalemm!

Kif nistgħu ngħannu l-għana tal-Mulej

f'art barranija?

Tibbiesli  idi l-leminija,

jekk qatt ninsa lilek, Ġerusalemm!                 

R/   Jeħilli lsieni mas-saqaf  ta' ħalqi,  jekk ma niftakarx fik, Ġerusalemm!

Jeħili lsieni mas-saqaf ta' ħalqi,

jekk ma niftakarx fik,

jekk ma nżommx 'il Ġerusalemm

'il fuq minn kull  ferħ tiegħi!.                             

R/   Jeħilli lsieni mas-saqaf  ta' ħalqi,  jekk ma niftakarx fik, Ġerusalemm!

Reading 2                       EPHESIANS 2:4-10

Brothers and sisters: God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ -by grace you have been saved-, raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens  in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come  He might show the  immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith,and this is not from you;  it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.   For we  are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus  for the good works that God has  prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

It-Tieni Qari   -  mill-Ittra lill-Efesin  2, 4-10

Ħuti, Alla,  għani fil-ħniena tiegħu,  bis-saħħa tal-imħabba kbira li biha ħabbna,  meta aħna konna mejta  minħabba fi dnubietna, tana ħajja ġdida flimkien ma' Kristu – bi grazzja intom salvi.Qajjimna  miegħu u qegħedna fis-smewwiet ma' Kristu Ġesu',  biex juri fiż-żminijiet li ġejjin l-għana  bla qjies tal-grazzja tiegħu bit-tjieba li wera magħna fi Kristu Ġesu'. Intom salvi bil-grazzja, permezz tal-fidi; u dan mhux bis-saħħa tagħkom, imma b'don ta' Alla; mhux bl-opri, biex ħadd ma jiftaħar.  Aħna ħolqien tiegħu, maħluqa fi Kristu Ġesu'  biex nagħmlu l-opri tajba li  Alla ħejjielna minn qabel li għandna nagħmlu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                           JOHN 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son  into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might  be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been  ondemned, because he  has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.   For everyone who does wicked things  hates the light and does not come toward the light,  so that his works  might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

            L-Evanġelju  - Qari skond San Ġwann 3, 14-21

            F'dak iż-żmien,  Ġesu' qal lil Nikodemu:  "Kif Mose' rafa' s-serp fid-deżert, hekk jeħtieġ li jkun merfugħ Bin il-bniedem, biex kull min jemmen fih ikollu l-ħajja ta' dejjem. Għax Alla hekk ħabb lid-dinja li ta lil Ibnu l-waħdieni,  biex kull min jemmen fiħ ma jintilifx, iżda jkollu l-ħajja ta' dejjem.  Għax Alla ma bagħatx lil Ibnu  fid-dinja biex jagħmel ħaqq mid-dinja, imma biex  id-dinja ssalva permezz tiegħu   .Min jemmen fih  ma jkunx ikkundannat, iżda min ma jemminx huwa ġa kkundannat, għax ma emminx fl-isem tal-Iben  il-waħdieni ta' Alla. U l-ġudizzju hu dan:   li d–dawl ġie fid-dinja, imma l-bnedmin ħabbew id-dlam aktar mid-dawl, għax  l-għemil tagħhom  kien ħażin.   Għax kull  min jagħmel il-ħażen jobgħod id-dawl, u ma jersaqx lejn id-dawl, biex għemilu ma jinkixifx. Imma min jagħmel is-sewwa jersaq lejn id-dawl, biex juri li hemm Alla f'għemilu". Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Nicodemus' Search for the "Soul of Theology"

Commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year B) features a nocturnal conversation between two important religious teachers: on the one hand a notable "teacher of Israel" named Nicodemus, and on the other, Jesus whom this Nicodemus calls a "teacher from God."

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. His prominent role and position in the national cabinet called the Sanhedrin made him the custodian of a great tradition. He was expected by many to be a national expert on God!

It is important to provide some background for the Gospel passage for this Sunday. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus is one of the most significant dialogues of the New Testament and his coming to Jesus secretly at night suggests the darkness of unbelief. The whole visit and conversation are shrouded in ambiguity and the Johannine penchant for strong contrasts such as darkness and light can be seen in this highly symbolic story.

Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of the need to experience the presence of God and offer oneself to him. Knowing God is much more than a gathering of theological information and data about him. In speaking about being born again from above, Jesus does not mean that one must reenter the mother's womb for a second time; but Jesus refers to a rebirth, which the Spirit of God makes possible.

Lifted up

In today's Gospel text, Jesus tells Nicodemus, and all who will hear this story in future generations, that the Son of Man must be lifted up on a pole so that people may gaze upon him and find healing and peace. During Israel's sojourn in the desert, the people were afflicted by a plague of serpents. Moses raised up a serpent on a stake, and all who gazed upon it were restored to health. Both the bronze serpent and Jesus crucified symbolize human sinfulness. When Jesus is "raised up," it is not only his suffering on the cross that is intimated. The Greek word used for "raised up" has a double meaning: both a physical lifting up from the ground, as in the crucifixion, or the spiritual lifting up which is an exultation.

What lesson does Nicodemus teach us today? He alerts us to what happens when we buy into a system and try to "master" theology, scripture, tradition, rules and regulations. He teaches us that courses in religion and theology are no substitute for faith and conviction. For Nicodemus, God is much more than information and data -- God is first and foremost a friend, a lover, a Lord and a Savior, who patiently waits for us by day, and even by night. Rather than approaching Scripture as something to master, we must allow the Word of

God to master us.

We know nothing more about Nicodemus, except that months afterward, he is able to postpone the inevitable clash between Jesus and the Sanhedrin. Later on, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea in retrieving the broken body of the dead Jesus.

Nicodemus and the Synod on the Word of God

I cannot help but read the story of Nicodemus in light of the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. I had the privilege of serving as the Vatican's English language media attaché for the Synod of Bishops in October 2008 in Rome. The experience was a rich retreat steeped in Scripture and the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

At the synod, the Holy Father and the bishops of the world addressed the present impasse in Scriptural studies, often caused by the atomization and dissection of the Scriptures, and a lack of integration of biblical studies with faith, the liturgy and lived spirituality. If Biblical texts are read and taught only for their historical and philological accuracy or inaccuracy, we fail to read the Bible as a book of faith that is the privileged possession of a living, breathing, praying community. We run the risk of selectivist and relativist interpretations of God's Word.

Over my many years of lecturing in Scripture at the Graduate School of Theology of the University of St. Michael's College in Toronto, Canada, numerous students confided in me that their Scripture courses were "without a soul," divorced from the reality of the Church and unrelated to her liturgical life. Their simple yet revealing comments pointed toward one of the significant themes evoked during the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.

On October 14, 2008, Benedict XVI shared some profound reflections on this very topic. In his brief, crystal-clear address to the whole assembly at the Vatican, the Pope touched upon one of the important themes that emerged in spades during this synod. When Catholic biblical exegesis is divorced from the living, breathing community of faith in the Church, exegesis is reduced to historiography and nothing more. The hermeneutic of faith disappears. We reduce everything to human sources and can simply explain everything away. Ultimately, we deny the One about whom the Scriptures speak, the one whose living presence lies underneath the words.

Referring to "Dei Verbum," the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, the Pope reaffirmed unequivocally of the importance of the historical-critical method that finds its roots in John 1:14, the Word becoming flesh. Nothing that can help us understand the Biblical text should be excluded as long as the purpose of the different approaches and their limits are kept clear.

All the while the Pope was speaking, the New Testament figure of Nicodemus was on my mind, as well as numerous other personalities who were led by Jesus beyond theories, systems, structures into the encounter with the living Lord who is the Word among us. Nicodemus certainly had an endless amount of knowledge and learning, and he developed a great system of religion in which God is categorized and analyzed. Jesus does not say that this is evil or even undesirable. He simply says that it is not enough.

Ever since my years of study at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, I have carried this little prayer of St. Bonaventure in my pocket. The words are from his "Itinerarium Mentis in Deum" inviting Christians to recognize the inadequacy of "reading without repentance, knowledge without devotion, research without the impulse of wonder, prudence without the ability to surrender to joy, action divorced from religion, learning sundered from love, intelligence without humility, study unsustained by divine grace, thought without the wisdom inspired by God."

Those words serve as a measure and guide for each of us, as we study theology and the Word of God, and allow the Word to master us. May our knowledge, learning, science and intelligence humbly lead us into an encounter, by day and by night, with Jesus Christ, the ultimate goal of our journey.

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