4th Week of Lent 2026 - Monday - Focusing on Christ

 

The fourth Sunday of Lent marks a threshold.  No longer will our weekday readings emphasize prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The Church assumes, that at this point, we have habituated these practices. Rather, from now until Holy Week, our weekday scripture readings will focus on the identity of Jesus as the Divine Messiah, and the mounting hostility he faced leading up to his arrest and crucifixion. 

The gospel book changes as well.  Since Ash Wednesday, the weekday scripture readings have been taken from the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, or Luke.  For the rest of Lent, we will read predominately from the Gospel of John.

Where the Synoptic Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus’ miracles: Matthew includes about 20, Mark, the shortest Gospel has around 18, Luke records about 24, John features only 7. 

The seven miracles of John’s Gospel serve to emphasize to the reader, Jesus’ identity—he is the Word made flesh come to accomplish what no one else can do—to save us from our sins. 

Chronologically, today’s Gospel is the second of the seven miracle stories: the healing of the nobleman’s son.  

It is good for us to remember that has we progress through Lent.  Jesus is not merely a teacher, telling us to be nice to each other.  He just doesn’t cure people’s ailments, like an itinerant medicine man.  He is God come to save us from our sins.  

If the Scripture readings for first three weeks of Lent helped us to focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, how should we be responding to God’s Word in this latter half of Lent?

I think the answer is this: with deeper faith and focus on Jesus himself. The first half of Lent teaches us what to do. The second half of Lent reminds us why we are doing it, and for whom. We pray, fast, and give alms not as ends in themselves, not as spiritual exercises for their own sake, but to be drawn more fully to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the one who alone can heal and save.

Look at the nobleman in today’s Gospel. He comes to Jesus with faith, though it is still imperfect. He begs for his son’s life. And Jesus calls him to an even deeper faith—not merely faith in what he can see, but faith in the power of Christ’s word. “You may go; your son will live.” And the man believed what Jesus said and left. That is the response these later Lenten readings are meant to awaken in us: to take Jesus at His word, to trust Him more completely, and to entrust our lives to Him.

So in these coming days, as the readings reveal more clearly who Jesus is and as opposition to Him increases, we should ask for the grace for our love, and grace, and sympathy for Him to be deepened. We should not give up on our Lenten practices, but our hearts are not to be fixed on them, but on Jesus—in appreciation, and wonder, and awe, for what he endures for us for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

- - - -  

Let us lift up our prayers to the Father. 

For the Church, that during these latter days of Lent she may proclaim with clarity that Jesus is the Divine Messiah, and lead many hearts to deeper faith in Him.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments, that the Lord may deepen their faith and draw them into a living and lasting friendship with Jesus.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those whose faith is weak, imperfect, or burdened by doubt, that like the nobleman in the Gospel they may learn to trust in the power of Christ’s word and entrust their lives more completely to Him.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who oppose the Gospel, persecute Christians, or harden their hearts against Christ, that the mercy of God may soften them and lead them to repentance and faith.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are sick, suffering, or carrying heavy burdens for loved ones, that they may turn to Jesus with confidence and find in Him healing, strength, and peace.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

For the faithful departed, that they may behold forever the face of Christ, whom they trusted on earth and now see in glory.  Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, hear these prayers we offer in faith. Deepen our trust in your Son, fix our hearts upon Him, and lead us through this holy season to the joy of Easter. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

4th Week of Lent 2023 - Wednesday - Miracles and Teachings

 

Throughout Lent we read often from St. John’s Gospel. And unlike the other Gospels that are filled with stories of the many miracles Jesus performed, John records only seven. Now, St. John knew that the Lord performed many more miracles than he recorded. In fact, the very last verse of John’s Gospel attests to this: St. John writes, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”

So, in John there are seven miracles. Why seven? It’s a pretty good number. A divine number. It’s the number of the days of creation, and isn’t that what Jesus was here to do, to begin something new. In fact, just like the first day of creation involved water, Jesus’ first miracle narrated by St. John is the turning of water into wine. And then John tells us of the miraculous Healing of the Royal Official’s son, which we would have heard on Monday, had it not been for the feast of St. Joseph, then another healing involving water, the healing of the blind man at the pool of Bethesda. The fourth miracle is the feeding of the 5000, then another miracle having to do with water, Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee. Sixth is the healing of the man born blind, which we heard last Sunday, and lastly, the raising of Lazarus, which we’ll hear this Sunday.

Often following the miracles in John’s Gospel, the Lord gives a length teaching. He gets peoples attention with the miraculous sign, now, then he teaches. He clarifies who he is and the mission he is about: He is the Son of God, he is here to do His Father’s work.  

These teachings, also deepen the antagonism between Jesus and his persecutors.  Especially as we get closer to Holy Week, the more he shows his goodness and divinity, the more the Word preaches the Truth, the more the world conspires to silence Him. 

The lengthy teaching we hear today follows the third miracle, the miracle of the healing at Bethesda. St. John reports this growing antagonism: The Lord says "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”  

Christians are invited to take the opposite approach. During Lent, as we read this stories, we are to draw near to him. We are to lay our heads on his breast, like John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple, to remain close to the sound of his voice.  Jesus reveals the Father. Jesus is God and leads us into deeper experience of God, who is full of mercy, compassion, self-sacrifice, and love. 

These lengthy teachings are packed full of truth and spiritual insight. We do well to meditate upon them in the quiet of our rooms. To go to our inner room, to shut the door, and meditate upon them in secret. Slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully. And who knows, if we stick around to listen to his teachings, we might be around to see him perform another miracle, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

- - - - - -  

That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

4th Week of Lent 2022 - Monday - Facing Rejection and Inspiring Faith

 

Leading up to Holy Week, our Gospel readings for daily Mass are taken from the Gospel of John.  Where each of the other evangelists record many miracles, John chooses only seven to record in his Gospel: the miracle at the wedding of cana, the healing of the royal official’s son, the healing of the paralytic, the feeding of the five thousand, the walking on water, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus.

John carefully records people’s reactions to Jesus’ miracles, as well. Some are amazed by Jesus, some come to believe that he truly is the Son of God, some are initially impressed with his miracles, but then fail to make that leap of faith or walk away because his subsequent teachings are unappealing or deemed too difficult. 

Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus himself testifying how the people of his hometown for the most part rejected him. The rejection of Jesus is a great tragedy. For the Lord explains, “I came, so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” In rejecting Jesus, they are rejecting life, eternal life.

After his rejection in Nazareth, St. John tells us that the Lord traveled to Galilee and healed the royal officials son. Instead of rejecting him, the royal official and his whole household make that leap of faith. 

Jesus was met with both rejection and acceptance—unbelief and belief. So too will we. We mustn’t become too disheartened when our efforts are met with coldness and unbelief. We’re in it for the long haul, as long as God deems it. Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, was rejected in his ministry. And he could read hearts. He spoke with the clearest understanding of the truth men need to hear, and spoke without timidity. He performed miracles and was still rejected.

So when we’re rejected, we who are imperfect instruments in the hands of God, we mustn’t give up on the Gospel mission. We might need to be rejected by a whole town in order to inspire faith in a household. But that household is a seed for the kingdom to grow and flourish. Give me a family on fire with the faith over a lukewarm town any day. 

May our Lenten observances help us to persevere and trust God when we face rejection. May we, imperfect instruments in the hands of God, remain faithful to the Gospel mission always, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 - - - - - - 

For an increase in faith for the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That the Church might be delivered and protected from all spirits of error, heresy, schism, and unbelief.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

That those in need may find assist in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.