Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A
Ezekiel 37:12-14Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8Romans 8:8-11John 11:1-45 Last weekend, my wife and I decided to move some of our “stuff” to storage. Needless to say, there was much junks, but along with the junks, there was much memories. And I got stuck, remembering the times, good and bad. Sometimes we set out to clean up a mess, but instead we get stuck—stuck in memories, stuck in old habits, stuck in the same patterns. We want to move forward, but something inside us feels like it’s still sitting in the garage, surrounded by clutter we don’t know how to deal with. That’s exactly where today’s readings meet us. Ezekiel: “I will open your graves.” God speaks to a people who feel buried—buried in exile, disappointment, and spiritual exhaustion.And God doesn’t say, “Dig yourselves out.”He says, “I will open your graves.”God takes the first step. Psalm 130: “Out of the depths I cry to you.” This is not a polished prayer.It’s the prayer of someone who’s overwhelmed, someone who can’t pretend everything is fine.Lent invites this kind of honesty. Romans: The Spirit who raised Jesus dwells in you. Paul reminds us that resurrection isn’t just a future event.It’s a present power.The Spirit is already at work in the places where we feel stuck or lifeless. The Gospel: Lazarus And then we come to the great story of Lazarus. Martha and Mary say what many of us have felt:“Lord, if you had been here…”If you had been here, my marriage wouldn’t be struggling.If you had been here, my child wouldn’t be hurting.If you had been here, I wouldn’t feel so anxious, so tired, so alone. Jesus doesn’t scold them.He weeps with them.He enters their grief.And then He does something astonishing:He calls Lazarus by name and brings him out of the tomb. But notice—He asks the people around Lazarus to roll away the stone.He invites them to participate in the miracle. So what does this mean for us? We all have “tombs”: Jesus stands before those places and says,“Take away the stone.”Let Me in.Let Me speak life where you’ve given up hope. Lent is not about proving ourselves to God.It’s about letting God do what only God can do—open graves, breathe life, call us out of darkness. Reflection Questions
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Year A)
Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 The Just One Under Pressure (Wisdom 2) The Book of Wisdom describes “the just one” who becomes a target simply because he lives with integrity. His goodness exposes the selfishness of others, and instead of being inspired, they feel threatened. So they plot against him. It’s a striking preview of Jesus. And it’s also a mirror for anyone who has ever tried to do the right thing and found that not everyone applauds. The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted (Psalm 34) The psalm reassures us that God is near—not when life is easy, but when the heart feels bruised, misunderstood, or worn down.“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”Not distant. Not indifferent. Close. Jesus Walks Into Hostility (John 7) In the Gospel, Jesus moves quietly because people are seeking to kill him. Yet when the moment comes, he walks into the Temple and speaks openly. He doesn’t run away. He doesn’t hide. He trusts the Father’s timing. His courage isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s steady.It’s the courage of someone who knows he is loved. Connecting It All to Lent Lent is the season when we walk with Jesus into the places that feel uncomfortable—our weaknesses, our fears, our patterns of sin, our relationships that need healing. And sometimes, like my friend with the golden retriever, we feel chased by things we’d rather avoid. But the readings remind us: Lent isn’t about proving our strength.It’s about discovering God’s nearness.
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1st Reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 292nd Reading: Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a There’s a story about a man who bought a brand‑new toolbox. He was so excited that he spent the whole weekend organizing it—sorting the wrenches, polishing the screwdrivers, lining everything up perfectly. On Monday, his neighbor asked, “So, what did you fix with all those tools?”The man paused and said, “Fix? Oh… I didn’t actually fix anything. But my toolbox looks amazing!” Sometimes we love the idea of being prepared more than actually doing the work. We like the appearance of readiness, even if we never pick up the tools. Today, on the feast of St. Joseph, the Church gives us a man who didn’t just look ready—he actually acted when God placed tools in his hands. 1. Joseph acts when God speaks In the Gospel (Matthew 1), Joseph faces a confusing and painful situation. His plans collapse. His expectations crumble. Yet when the angel says, “Do not be afraid,” Joseph doesn’t polish the toolbox of faith—he uses it.He gets up.He takes Mary into his home.He steps into a future he doesn’t fully understand. 2. Joseph trusts God’s promise, like Abraham and David The first reading from 2 Samuel 7 reminds us of God’s promise to David: a kingdom that will last forever. Joseph, a “son of David,” becomes the quiet guardian of that promise. And in Romans 4, Paul praises Abraham’s faith—trusting God even when the path ahead seemed impossible. Joseph stands in that same line of trust. He doesn’t demand clarity. He doesn’t ask for guarantees. He simply believes that God is faithful. 3. Joseph shows us the heart of Lent Lent is not about looking holy—it’s about letting God work in us.It’s not about polishing our spiritual toolbox—it’s about using it. Joseph teaches us: He reminds us that holiness often looks like doing the next right thing, even when it’s small, hidden, or difficult. Most of us have moments when life doesn’t go according to plan: In those moments, we can be tempted to freeze, to overthink, or to cling to our own plans.Joseph shows another way: listen, trust, act. As we continue through Lent, maybe God is placing a “tool” in your hands: Don’t just admire the tool.Pick it up.Use it.Let God build something beautiful through your obedience, just as He did through Joseph.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Year A)
Readings: Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18; John 5:17-30 A little boy once asked his mom, “If God never forgets anything, does that mean He remembers where I hid my homework?”Without missing a beat, she said, “Oh yes—and He also remembers that you didn’t actually do it.” The boy sighed and said, “Well… I was hoping He’d forget just this once.” We laugh because we know the feeling. There are moments when we hope God forgets something about us—and other moments when we desperately hope He remembers us. Today’s readings speak right into that tension. God Never Forgets You In Isaiah, God says one of the most tender lines in all of Scripture:“Can a mother forget her infant? … Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” This is not God scolding us.This is God reassuring us. Lent can sometimes feel like a season where we’re painfully aware of our shortcomings—our “unfinished homework,” so to speak. But God’s message today is not, “Look how far you’ve fallen,” but rather,“I see you. I remember you. I am with you.” God Lifts the Weary Psalm 145 continues the theme:“The Lord lifts up all who are falling.” Not some.Not the deserving.Not the ones who have everything together. All. If you feel tired, stretched thin, spiritually sluggish, or emotionally worn—this psalm is for you. Lent is not a test of endurance. It is a season where God bends down, picks us up, and carries us forward. The Son Gives Life In the Gospel, Jesus reveals something astonishing:He shares the very life-giving power of the Father. “Just as the Father gives life, so the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.” Jesus is not merely a teacher or a healer.He is the One who restores life where it has faded. Where you feel spiritually flat—He breathes life.Where you feel forgotten—He remembers.Where you feel judged—He offers mercy. Lent is not about proving ourselves to God.It is about letting God do what He does best:lift, restore, and give life. Bringing It Home So back to the little boy and his homework. He was afraid God remembered the wrong thing.But God remembers the right things: And He forgets the right things too: Because His mercy is bigger than your mess. A Simple Lenten Invitation Today, let God remember you.Let Him lift you.Let Him breathe life into the places that feel tired or forgotten. That is the heart of Lent—not punishment, but restoration.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Year A
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031726.cfm Today’s readings give us one of the most powerful images of Lent: God’s desire to bring life where we have grown dry, stuck, or discouraged. In Ezekiel, a tiny trickle of water flows from the Temple. It seems insignificant at first—barely enough to wet your ankles. But as it moves outward, it becomes a river so deep and wide that no one can cross it. And wherever this river flows, everything lives. Trees bear fruit. Salt marshes become fresh. What was dead comes alive again. This is God’s way of showing us that grace often begins small. Renewal doesn’t always start with a dramatic moment. Sometimes it begins with a whisper, a nudge, a small step toward God. Lent is full of these small beginnings. Then we meet the man in the Gospel—thirty‑eight years unable to walk, waiting by the pool of Bethesda. He believes healing is possible, but only in one specific way: “If only I could get into the water.” He’s convinced that the miracle depends on his ability to reach the pool. But Jesus shows him—and us—something different.Healing doesn’t come from the pool.Healing comes from the presence of Christ. Jesus asks him a question that cuts right to the heart:“Do you want to be well?” It’s not a trick question. It’s an invitation.Because wanting to be well means being willing to change.It means letting go of old patterns, old excuses, old fears.It means trusting that God can do something new. And then Jesus speaks the words that define the Gospel:“Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Notice—Jesus doesn’t just heal him.He sends him forward.He gives him a new direction, a new responsibility, a new life. We all have “mats”—places where we’ve been stuck for a long time. And like the man at the pool, we sometimes wait for the “perfect moment” or the “right conditions” to change.But Jesus doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.He meets us exactly where we are and says,“Do you want to be well? Then rise.” Lent is the season when God’s healing river begins to flow again—sometimes as a trickle, sometimes as a flood. But always with the power to bring life. God is not asking us to fix ourselves.God is asking us to let grace move, even if it starts small.To take one step.To rise in one area of our life.To trust that the One who heals us will also walk with us.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent – Year A
Friends, today’s readings give us one of the most hopeful messages of the entire Lenten season. In Isaiah, God says, “I am about to create new heavens and a new earth.” Not repair. Not patch. Create. God is promising a future so full of joy that the old sorrows will fade away. This is the heart of Lent: God is not just trying to make us slightly better versions of ourselves. God is trying to make us new. Psalm 30 echoes this promise: “You have turned my mourning into dancing.” The psalmist remembers a time when life felt like a pit—and how God lifted him out. Lent invites us to remember the same: the moments when God carried us, rescued us, or gave us strength we didn’t know we had. And then we come to the Gospel. A royal official comes to Jesus desperate—his son is dying. Jesus simply says, “Go; your son will live.” And here’s the remarkable part:the man believes before he sees.He walks home trusting that Jesus’ word is already at work. That is Lent.Walking in faith before we see the results.Trusting that God is already healing, already renewing, already creating something new within us. We all have places in our lives where we’re waiting for God to act.Maybe it’s a relationship that needs healing.Maybe it’s a child or family member we’re worried about.Maybe it’s a habit or fear we’ve carried for years.Maybe it’s a part of our heart that feels tired or discouraged. Like the royal official, we come to Jesus and say, “Lord, please—do something.”And Jesus says to us, “Go. I am already working. Trust me.” Lent is not about seeing instant results.It’s about taking the next step in faith, believing that God’s grace is already moving beneath the surface. So today, let’s ask for the grace to trust God’s word the way the royal official did.To believe that God is creating something new in us—even if we can’t see it yet.And to walk forward with the quiet confidence that Easter joy is already rising within us. Amen.
Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A
Laetare Sunday — “Rejoice!” Friends, today the Church pauses in the middle of Lent and whispers a word we might not expect in a season of penance: Laetare — Rejoice.Not because Lent is over. Not because the cross has disappeared.But because God is already at work, even before we reach Easter morning. Laetare Sunday is like standing on a hill halfway through a long journey. We turn around and see how far we’ve come. We look ahead and see where God is leading us. And for a moment, we breathe, we smile, and we remember that grace is already breaking through. And today’s readings are all about seeing differently. 1. God sees the heart — not the surface In the first reading, Samuel is sent to anoint a new king. He sees Jesse’s strong, impressive sons and thinks, “Surely this must be the one.”But God says something that cuts right through our human habits: “Not as man sees does God see.Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.” How often do we get stuck on appearances?We size people up by their job, their clothes, their mistakes, their politics, their past.We do it to ourselves too — we judge our worth by our successes or failures. But God sees deeper.He sees the hidden goodness, the quiet faithfulness, the potential we don’t even recognize in ourselves.David, the youngest and least impressive, is the one God chooses. Lent is a time to let God adjust our vision — to help us see ourselves and others with His eyes. 2. “The Lord is my shepherd” — even in the valleys Psalm 23 is a psalm of trust.It doesn’t pretend life is easy. It speaks of dark valleys, enemies, fear.But it also says: “You are with me.” Some of us are walking through valleys right now: Laetare Sunday reminds us:God is shepherding you even now.You are not walking alone. 3. “You were once darkness, but now you are light” St. Paul tells the Ephesians — and us — that faith is not just about believing something new.It’s about becoming something new. “You were once darkness,but now you are light in the Lord.” Not “you were in darkness,” but you were darkness.And now, through Christ, you are light. Lent is not about beating ourselves up.It’s about letting Christ awaken what is good, holy, and radiant within us. 4. The man born blind — a journey from darkness to sight And then we come to the Gospel — the long, beautiful story of the man born blind. Notice something:The man doesn’t just receive physical sight.He receives spiritual sight. At first he calls Jesus “the man.”Then “a prophet.”Then “from God.”And finally, he kneels before Jesus and says, “Lord, I believe.” Meanwhile, the Pharisees — who claim to see — become more and more blind. The Gospel asks each of us:Where am I blind?Where is Jesus trying to open my eyes? Maybe it’s a habit I excuse.Maybe it’s a person I refuse to forgive.Maybe it’s a truth I avoid.Maybe it’s a part of myself I don’t want God to touch. Jesus doesn’t shame the blind man.He heals him.And He wants to do the same for us. 5. Laetare: Joy in the middle of the journey So why rejoice today? Because God is already working in the places we feel stuck.Because grace is already unfolding in ways we cannot yet see.Because the light is already breaking through the cracks of our darkness. Laetare Sunday invites us to notice the small signs of God’s presence: These are Easter seeds already sprouting in the soil of Lent. 6. A final image Imagine Jesus standing before you today, just as He stood before the man born blind.He looks at you with tenderness and says:“Do you want to see?” Not just with your eyes, but with your heart.Not just the world around you, but the truth of who you are in God’s eyes. Let Him touch your blindness.Let Him shepherd your fears.Let Him lead you from darkness into light. And in the middle of Lent, let your heart rejoice —because God is already doing something new. Amen.
Friday of the Third Week of Lent – Year A
Hosea 14:2-10 • Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17 • Mark 12:28-34 Today’s readings sound like a gentle tug on the heart. Not a scolding. Not a lecture. A tug.A pull back toward the God who never stops wanting us. 1. “Return to the Lord your God…” — Hosea’s Tender Call Hosea speaks to a people who have wandered far. They’ve made mistakes, chased false securities, and forgotten who they are.And God’s response is astonishing: “I will heal their defection… I will love them freely.” Not “I’ll think about it.”Not “Prove yourself first.”Just: Come home. I’m ready to heal you. Lent is exactly this invitation.It’s not a season of guilt; it’s a season of return. Think of someone you love who drifted away—maybe a friend who stopped calling, or a child who pulled back. When they finally reach out, your heart softens. You don’t want explanations; you want connection.That’s God’s heart today. 2. “If only my people would hear me…” — The Psalm’s Longing Psalm 81 almost sounds like God sighing. We live in a world full of noise—notifications, opinions, endless tasks.Sometimes we don’t reject God; we just don’t hear Him. Lent invites us to turn down the volume. A parishioner once told me that the most transformative part of her Lent wasn’t giving up chocolate—it was turning off her phone for the first ten minutes of the morning.“God finally had space to speak,” she said. 3. “Which commandment is the greatest?” — Jesus Brings It All Together In the Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus a sincere question.And Jesus gives a sincere answer: Love God with everything.Love your neighbor.Love yourself. This is the whole spiritual life in three movements. And notice: Jesus doesn’t separate them.You can’t love God and mistreat people.You can’t love others while despising yourself.You can’t love yourself while ignoring God. Love is one fabric, woven in three directions. Real-life examples of this love: These small acts are not insignificant.They are the daily ways we live the Great Commandment. 4. Lent: A Season of Reordered Love Lent is not about proving our holiness.It’s about clearing away what blocks love. Maybe it’s resentment.Maybe it’s distraction.Maybe it’s fear.Maybe it’s the belief that God is disappointed in us. But Hosea tells us the truth:God is not disappointed. God is waiting. And Jesus tells us the path:Love—simple, honest, wholehearted love. 5. A Final Word At the end of the Gospel, Jesus tells the scribe,“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Not far.Just one step of love away. Maybe that’s where we are today—not far from healing,not far from peace,not far from God. Lent is the season to take that step. Reflection Questions
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent (Year A)
Readings: Jeremiah 7:23-28 • Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 • Luke 11:14-23 There’s a quiet but piercing honesty in today’s readings. They hold up a mirror to the human heart—its beauty, its longing, and yes, its stubborn resistance. In Jeremiah, God speaks a simple, tender command:“Listen to my voice… and you shall be my people.”It’s not complicated. God isn’t asking for heroic feats or perfect performance. Just listening. Just relationship. But the people “turned their backs, not their faces.”Not in dramatic rebellion—just a slow, steady refusal to listen. Psalm 95 echoes the same plea:“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”It’s as if the psalmist knows how easily the heart can calcify—how quickly prayer becomes optional, how quietly resentment settles in, how subtly fear closes us off. And then Jesus, in the Gospel, confronts a crowd that sees a miracle and still refuses to believe. Some accuse Him of acting by the power of evil. Others demand more signs. Jesus responds with a clarity that cuts through all the noise:“Whoever is not with me is against me.” It’s not a threat. It’s a truth about the spiritual life.There is no neutral ground.Every choice either opens the heart to God or closes it. Where does this meet us in Lent? Lent is the season when God gently presses on the places we resist Him.Not to shame us, but to free us. Maybe the resistance is subtle: We all have those places.And Lent is God’s invitation to soften, to listen, to turn our face toward Him again. Jesus’ words remind us that discipleship is not passive.We can’t drift into holiness.We choose it—daily, intentionally, imperfectly, but sincerely. The Good News God never stops speaking.Even when we resist, even when we turn away, even when our hearts grow hard—God keeps calling. Jeremiah’s lament is not God giving up.It’s God grieving a relationship He still desires. Psalm 95 is not a warning.It’s a plea from a God who wants to be heard. And Jesus’ challenge is not condemnation.It’s an invitation to clarity, to alignment, to wholeheartedness. Lent is not about beating ourselves up.It’s about letting God break through the hardness we didn’t even realize was there. A Lenten Question Where is God asking you to listen again?Not perfectly.Just honestly. Where is He inviting you to soften, to trust, to turn your face toward Him? Because the moment we do—even a little—grace rushes in,light breaks through,and the heart begins to change.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Azariah’s prayer exemplifies honest humility before God, emphasizing that divine mercy surpasses our failures. Lent encourages transformative forgiveness, urging us to share mercy as a sign of true conversion.