We have reached the Fourth Sunday of Lent. We could never have predicted that the Lord
would allow us to enter so fully into the Desert Experience that Lent is meant to
evoke. We are on a journey
together. Our sole support is the Lord
Himself and the spiritual unity that we share as members of the Body of Christ,
the Church.
The Gospel for this Sunday is the account of the healing of
the man born blind. The First Reading
tells the story of the anointing of David as the King. St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians reminds us
that we are called to arise from sleep in order to receive light from the
Lord. The Responsorial Psalm gathers the
whole message with Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall
want.” We are not left in darkness. The Lord is with us on our journey and He has
plans full of hope for us.
This Sunday’s readings and the experience of being aware of
our unity in spite of “social distance” bring out the importance of the intention
we are praying together this year: “That our eyes may be opened to see Jesus among us, so
that the Light of Christ may shine through our unity.”
We are not able to gather for Mass or any of the usual
meetings and encounters that generally keep us in one another’s awareness. So now we must be creative in our efforts to express
our unity. It has been so encouraging to
me personally to see how generous folks have been and how willing to share what
has been discovered. The Internet and
social media are proving their worth as a means to unify hearts.
Our School children have been working with their teachers
and with those who care for them at home to keep on track with learning. Facebook and Schoolspeak are invaluable
tools. Many companies have been generous
in making available resources that assist in the process of learning.
No one knows how long this will last or when we will be
able to return to a sense of normalcy.
We are in the desert, but we are together and God is guiding us. Every day, look for the manna in the
wilderness. There are many beautiful
things in the desert. One day surely we shall
reach the Promised Land. Open your eyes
and see!
The US Bishops’ Website offers the Scriptures of each
day. Take time to read them with your
family.
Pray the Rosary
Daily: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm
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