Third Sunday of Lent
March 27, 2011
To see the readings, click here:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/032711.shtml
I have observed that I often get few or no page viewings on Sunday. Which is not surprising because a.) people are going to church and hearing a sermon from someone trained to interpret these readings and b.) technically, Sundays aren't even part of Lent. Today, I'm really grateful that nobody reads it on Sunday anyway. These strike me as three unrelated lessons with little tying them together. Or to put it a different way, "I got nothing!"
The reading from Exodus is another one of those where the people of Israel are showing no reason at all to justify their being God's chosen people, and poor old Moses is once again caught in the middle between them and God.
The excerpt from Romans is uplifting. Especially the verse that says "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
And the gospel is from the book of John, where half the time the quotes attributed to Jesus don't even sound like they came from the same person who is quoted in Matthew, Mark and Luke. The other three show us a gentle, humble, forgiving and self-sacrificing savior. In this reading, when asked about the Messiah, Jesus says, “I am he, the one speaking with you.” Nothing humble or cryptic about that. About half the time he sounds -- well -- arrogant in this gospel.
So I think I am going to let it go for today. If I get any further inspiration, I'll update this. If not, I'll return to my efforts afresh with Monday's reading.
Father, I thank you for calling me to this discipline even on the days when it doesn't come easy. Thank you for your words of hope and comfort. Please be with me and with all who are walking this Lenten journey with me. Amen
