Fourth Sunday of Lent

In our brokenness and humanity, forgiveness does not always come naturally to us. On the contrary, forgiving others is often a hard and conscious choice, and an ongoing decision to let go of deep anger or resentment. Therefore, when we try to understand the mercy of God, we often project this human experience onto Him. We might believe that God forgives us, but with disappointment or frustration. Yet today’s second reading proves this to be incredibly false. St. Paul does not say that God gives His mercy reservedly, rather, that He is rich in mercy, and acts with great love (Ephesians 2:4).

The Lord rejoices in showing us His free and abundant mercy, and not just when we think we earned it, but when we feel that we do not deserve it at all. For “even when we were dead in our transgressions,” Jesus saw our mess and chose to give us new life (Ephesians 2:5). Therefore, we have nothing to fear as we step into the light of His truth and grace.

This divine reality of perfect and free mercy can be found in the sacrament of reconciliation. Jesus waits for you there in perfect love and compassion. For He did not come to condemn, but to pour light into the darkest parts of our hearts (John 3:17).

The Gospel says that Jesus came to bring light into our lives, yet sometimes we “[prefer] darkness to light” (John 3:19). What areas of your life are you afraid to bring to the light?

How can you step into the light of God’s mercy this Lent? (ie. confiding in a trusted friend, being honest in prayer, going to confession).