Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent (March 24, 2018): The surprising truth about Mercy

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 37:21-28
Jer 31:10-13
John 11:45-56
usccb.org/bible/readings/032418.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/18_03_24.mp3

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
“What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
“You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish.”
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?”

Good News Reflection: The surprising truth about Mercy

I will turn their mourning into joy. I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (From Saturday’s Responsorial Psalm)

From time to time, I “go on retreat” by immersing myself in a creative project with acrylic paints and canvas. When I do this, I ask the Holy Spirit to inspire me with an idea for the painting’s subject. It always has to have a message, or else I’m not interested in it and I doubt that anyone else would be. By the time it’s finished, it has spoken to me, ministered to me, restored me, and told me its name. And I hope it will do the same for someone else.

Recently, a landscape painting named “Mercy” had a lot to say.

I posted it on Facebook and asked, “Can anyone deduce why its name is Mercy?” The responses were fascinating. They were excellent and true, bringing to light things that even I had not seen, although none of them were the answer that had inspired the painting. Before you read their answers (and at the end, my own), stop and look. What is your answer to this question?

Sahagun Irma said, “The house of God waiting for all us, sailors in this world.”

Bill Bowman said, “The path to the Church gets more narrow as it goes along.” To which I replied, “Keep looking. The path is not really narrower. That’s simply perspective, because the church is farther away than the foreground.”

Margaret Everett said, “Still water reflects the light. ‘By quiet waters He leads me. I care for the flowers in the fields how much more will I care for you! Come to The Water, you who are thirsty, though you have nothing I bid you come. I look to the mountains from where my help comes; it comes from you oh Lord.'”

Merry Burhan said, “As the sun rises every morning giving light and life to all under it, so is God’s mercy. Every day by his mercy and grace we are given chances to really ‘live’ and be better than yesterday.”

Wing Aguila said, “From the shadows, we are called into the light. And as we gather with the people of God, we too must shine, attract others who are still in darkness, and guide them into the light of Christ. We are one with Christ and the people of God in this work of evangelisation.”

Kathy Lessl said, “Psalm 51:7 – ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.'”

Margaret Everett added, “‘I am the rock of your salvation!’ Because of God’s tender Mercy He will give light to those in darkness and guide our footsteps to a place of peace. Christ’s Church. On the journey there are the rocks of salvation, the trees of the field, the quiet waters, flowers that bloom and a view of the mountain.”

Carlos Pips Rizikó said, “God is taking a good care of His creations. Whether big or small, all of His creations matters to Him. That melting ice on top of the mountain makes me curious. Hehe!”

Lim Chune Sin said, “New Day, New Mercy.”

Georgina Esposo said, “God’s mercy from of old ensures peace and continuity of life; day becomes night and again, day reappears to assure of God’s constancy. The fields are abloom with flowers wafting their scents, quietly lending beauty and serenity to touch the human heart.”

Sally Malkowski said, “Spare us the wrath of the water … OR … a refuge where you least expect it.”

Cindy Taylor said, “I see the Holy family in rocks and three trees representing Calvary?” [Note from Terry: I didn’t plan this, nor did I see it until Cindy pointed it out.]

Ruby Manuel said, “Despite our sinfulness, God’s goodness is constant. His faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness is rooted from the depth of His mercy, and this manifests everywhere around us, in every season of our lives, if only we could see.”

Mary Wellman said, “We have a choice. We can be marginal Catholics doing what’s minimally required, or go beyond in pursuing our first Love, and immerse ourselves in His endless Love and Mercy, depicted by the larger body of water past the church.”

Bernadette McGrath said, “The church looks perilously close to the water’s edge — is the sea level rising? We must be better stewards of our oceans. God’s mercy is boundless, but we have a responsibility to care for the gift of all creation.”

Gayle Gaither said, “There are so many terrains in each of our journeys, mercy is always available but we can neglect to see it at times when the rocks or tall grass or whatever could distract us.”

Terry says: And now it’s my turn. Here’s the big reveal! Look at the back door of the church. Mercy is the back door when love by itself does not draw us in. The path leads to the front door, but not everyone finds Christ by normal paths. Some find Christ “off the beaten path”. God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit (the three evergreen trees) welcomes all, keeping the back door open for those who don’t see the value of the path to the front door.

This painting also shows that we come from a rocky world, and there is safety in the Church that’s lit brightly by the Light of Christ. Though it looks precariously close to being flooded, it is not. Psalm 1 says: “Those who delight in the law of the Lord are like a tree planted by water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaves does not wither. Whatever they do prospers.” The water is the Holy Spirit nourishing the Church and all who are in it.

The snow-capped mountains across the sea could be obstacles that keep people far from Christ and the Church. The melting snow is the beginning of God’s mercy. Look at Mark 11:23, where Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”

And did you see the boat? Its sail is glowing with the light of the sun/Son. Remember that Jesus calms the storms and takes us safely to shore.

Sally now has this painting in her home. Here’s another painting that wants to speak to someone in their home or office. Its name is “Journey Beyond”. It’s encouragement for reaching difficult goals.

The Lord always provides a way across whatever separates us from the better life that he has created for us. The place where we are now is comfortable; it has just enough beauty to convince us that it’s okay to stay in the status quo of our current life. It’s scary to cross over to far-reaching goals. Notice that the bridge has no hand-rails and is low enough to the churning river that it appears unsafe; the river could easily overtake it and drown you if you try to cross it. The other side has many more flowers than where we now stand, but from our current perspective, they seem too small to be worth the effort to reach. Notice also that the bridge is not the center of our attention. The central focus is on the river and its fast and dangerous current.

What have you been praying for that has been too far-fetched or illusive? What goals do you have that seem impossible to reach? The promise of this painting is that, when we trust the Lord, we see and use the bridge that he provides and reach the other side safely.

© 2018 by Terry A. Modica

• Vatican
• HĐGM Việt Nam
• CSsR
• DCCT
• Nhà sách Đức Mẹ
• Đức Mẹ Hằng Cứu Giúp