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The Dawn of Our Salvation


 Reflection on Today’s Readings, 5th Sunday of Lent C, April 3rd, 2022
Texts: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126: 1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11
God tells us today that he is doing a new thing. He invites us to see the thing he is doing. In the text it is clear that God is telling us not to limit him to what he did in the past; he wants us to always expect new thing from him. Whatever God does is always new. Today is a new day, it is different from yesterday, so also tomorrow will be a new day different from today. As God is doing new thing, do I become new? We have to become new in our behaviour, attitude, thinking and orientation.  
In the past God made way in the sea for the salvation of his people while their enemies perished in the sea. In the prophetic words of Isaiah : “Thus says the Lord, who makes away in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick” God asked his people not to put in mind the way he saved them in the past but expect a new way of salvation. Hence, it is said, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” God told them he was going to save them in a new way and that he had already started doing it.  
Then what was this new thing God was working out for his people? It was the reverse of what he did in the past. In the past he made way in the sea, he would now make way in the wilderness; he had dried up mighty waters, he would now make waters flow in the desert. In his words: “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honour me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,  to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” In the past it was only the people of God who praised and honoured God when they witnessed the salvation of God. Now all the living, jackals and ostriches, who would witness the salvation of his people would praise and honour him. All those who did not know Him will acknowledge Him when they witness the salvation of his people.
In this time of Lent, what is the new thing God is working out for us? Can you perceive anything? For me I can see something new around. I can see the cross and the images covered. What does that mean? It means our redemption is at hand, the Son of God is about to die for us, for your sin and my sin. He now withdraws from public; his public appearance is now with caution and strategy. This is because His enemies are now set to capture Him. Next Sunday He  will enter Jerusalem triumphantly and face his death. On Thursday of the week, he will be captured and on Friday he will be crucified and give up his life for us. On Sunday morning, he will rise from the dead. With his death and resurrection our redemption is accomplished and we are set free from the power of sin and death.  
We have to strain forward, just like Paul, to what lies ahead, the resurrection of the Lord. He puts it thus: “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Let us continue in our works of penance by which we participate in the suffering of Christ and die to sin. By our penance will become dead in the body as we put off the desires of the body, and are alive in the spirit through the life of holiness. Let us press on in our almsgiving, the act which covers the multitude of sins. By our sins we are dead, by the cancellation of our sins, we are alive. This means while we are dead by our sins, we resurrect by cancellation of our sins. The woman who was caught in the act of adultery, in today’s gospel, witnessed the redemption of Christ and participate in his resurrection by cancellation of her sin. Jesus Christ says, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” Let us press forward in our prayer, that we may always stand before the Lord, beholding his face and that we may attain perfect union with God.  
We should not allow our past records hold us down. We might have been doing well since the beginning of this lent, we should not relent and allow our success robs us of what lies ahead, the participation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should not also allow the record of our failure robs us of what lies ahead, the joy of encounter with the risen Christ. We might have not started well, let us begin anew now; no time is too late for God, for all times and ages belong to Him. Let consider the things of the past, whether success or failure, as nothing. Let us say with St. Paul: “but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The journey is towards the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, not towards the call of the world. This means we have to count as loss the worldly promises for the joy of knowing Christ Jesus. Hence, St. Paul says, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my  Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”. This attitude of St. Paul we should make our own, that we may benefit from the redemption of Christ and participate in his resurrection.  

By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. Amen (Collect) 

Fr.  Andrew Olowomuke  
 



This post first appeared on Living The Gospel Value, please read the originial post: here

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The Dawn of Our Salvation

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