Today, on this Fifth Sunday of Lent, our theme is “Walk.”
The first reading reminds us that God walked with Israel and was willing to start anew, even when they were unfaithful. “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Jesus says in the Gospel “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” Jesus leads us into a new era, all people can now be part of the abundant life Jesus offers us. “Love one another as I have loved you”, we will hear on Holy Thursday. This is a call for us to walk with all people, those different than ourselves, those who have hurt us, those whom we love, those who think differently than we do. This is not easy; it can cost us everything, as Jesus gave everything. We are called to walk the way of the cross with our brothers and sisters no matter how alike or different than us. Jesus invites us to walk with everyone the way of forgiveness, openness and mercy as he did.
In her homily for Catholic Women Preach this week, Sr. Susan Nchubiri writes:
“The new covenant that has been written in our hearts is a law of love and care, not hate and punishment. Looking at the world today, we see immense suffering, death and destruction through war and violence, great polarizations, nationalism, genocide and xenophobia, to name but a few. How can we who know God continue to allow dehumanization, dispossession, oppression and exploitation of sections of populations such as…indigenous peoples, refugees and migrants? How can we, in the 21st century, still embrace the politics of racism and discrimination, imperialism, war and militarism?” [1]
For our time of silent prayer after Communion, here are some questions in addition to those on the back of your program:
Do I love and care enough to speak up against the injustices I see in our society?
How can I have an open mind and heart to those who I see as “Other”?
We invite you to pray with any questions the readings today may spark in you.
Citation
[1] Nchubiri, S. (2024). Fifth Sunday of Lent. Catholic Women Preach. https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/03172024. Accessed March 20, 2024.
