Psalm 36:5-11; Isaiah
42:1-9; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11
The common theme in
today’s four readings is the Lord’s gift of love for all of us. First, Psalms 36 includes many similes and
metaphors to illustrate the Lord’s love as a gift of natural beauty and
imagination. Second, in Isaiah 42, love
appears as a gift of justice and salvation.
In this reading, the Lord’s servant is charged with carrying the spirit
that is both gentle and faithful. Later,
in Hebrews 9 we learn how Christ manifests his love through his redeeming power
that frees us from sin. And finally, in
John 12 we are assured that God has our back, as the apostle tells a story of
how Jesus defends Mary, Lazarus’ sister, from Judas Iscariot’s false
accusation. These four different representations
of God’s love reassure us that we are protected, never alone. In Lent, a time when we prepare ourselves for
the commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection, I find it particularly
important to keep in mind the many ways in which God’s love manifests
itself.
In this time of
reflection and repentance, we often focus on the cross as a symbol of God’s
loving sacrifice. Through his
resurection, Jesus overcomes torture and death in the cross and brings a new
light to the world and a new life for all of us. In his death and resurrection the Lord is
with us always. Today’s readings
illustrate how God is in our lives, carrying us, supporting us. Here are a few examples:
Psalm 36:7 describes God’s steadfast love
through metaphor:
How precious is your steadfast
love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the
shadow of your wings.
Isaiah 42: 6 affirms God’s promise that he will be always by our side:
I am the Lord, I have called you
in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and
kept you [….]
Hebrews 9:15 shows the Lord’s redeeming power in our lives:
For this reason he is the
mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the
promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them
from the transgressions under the first covenant.
John 12:7 tells how the Lord’s has our back, freeing us to carry our own
acts of love:
Jesus said, ‘Leave [Mary]
alone. She bought [this costly perfume]
so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.
These four examples of
God’s love remind us of Jesus’ triumph over death so that we might find hope in
our salvation. They also suggest that
because of Jesus’ ultimate act of love we never walk alone. And in knowing that
we are not alone, today’s readings help us to remember our own commitment to
love God, our neighbors, ourselves.
Esteban Loustaunau
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