It's half-time!

Years ago, Catholics fasted from midnight before receiving Holy Communion, and "giving up" candy and movies for Lent was a lot more common. Today we would add TV, the internet, texting, and Facebook, etc. If we've given up some of that, then we too have reason to rejoice today at Lent’s half-time!

Few of us, however, feel exhausted from all the extra hours of vigilant prayer! Rather, we're more likely to feel that we'd better get going, or Lent will be over! As usual, we find many insights from the scriptures for this 4^th Sunday in Lent that point the way to some prayer and activity for the week ahead.

 In the first reading (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23), we hear of the deplorable conditions and the laxity of faith among the Jewish people of the sixth and fifth centuries, B.C. Princes, priests and people had "added infidelity to infidelity" by mistreating the prophets and ridiculing God's message. This sounds a lot like the moral corruption in the society of our own day.

Enraged, God had sent them into exile in Babylon for seventy years. But in His great mercy, He uses a pagan, King Cyrus, who had conquered the Babylonians, to release the enslaved Israelites, sending them back to Jerusalem loaded with gold and other materials for rebuilding the Temple, the center and soul of their worship.  Wouldn’t it be great if He would use the current leaders of this country (some of whom claim to be Catholic) to lead us out of our slavery to abortion and sexual “freedom”? 

By this time, most Catholics in this country are aware of the attempts of our government to intrude on the precious rights of conscience and religious freedom through the proposed new healthcare laws. While one religion cannot impose its beliefs on others, we must never be forced to act against our conscience in operating our hospitals, nursing homes, and other charitable institutions. We can and should stand up for our rights. Otherwise, we may become isolated and helpless to live our faith right in our own country!

A reason for courage and hope, however, is found in the Gospel (John 3:14-21). There, we find one of the most consoling texts in all Scripture: "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."

What follows is Jesus' plea that we shun the darkness. "For whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." Our reason to rejoice, then, lies in our resolution to live and act in the light of God's truth, and to stir up our faith in His incredible and ever-present love and mercy. Then, we need to act on that conviction!