Reflection on Today’s Readings, Wednesday of 4th Week of Lent, March 13th, 2024                                                                                                                            Texts: Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145:8-9,13-14,17-18; John 5:17-30  

Jesus Christ reminds us, today, that we are to look up to God. Jesus Himself looked up to His Father. He says, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” We show that God is our Father by following His example.    

Jesus lives in obedience to the Father. Jesus Christ says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing., for whatever He does, that the son does likewise.” He does the works of the Father. We Identify with the Father by doing His works.   

If we do the work of the devil, we identify with the devil. If we do the work of God, we identify with God.  Just like the Jesus Christ we are to do what God is doing. We are to be just, for God is just. We are to Love, for God loves. God is patient and forgiving, so also we are to be patient and forgiving. It is in this way we truly identify with God our Father.

He has been a worthy help to us in different ways  

Today’s first reading gives reason for doing the works of God. We read, “Thus says the Lord: ‘In a time of favour I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given as a covenant to the people”. He has proved He loves us and able to save us by coming to our help in different ways: In time of favour He helped us and in time of salvation, He also came to our aid. He has been a worthy help to us in different ways.   

God declares that He loves us and never forsakes us. He puts it thus: “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me’. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the Son of her womb?’ Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” The love of God for us is so strong. Just as no one can love us like our mothers, so also no one can love us like God.  

Prayer  

O God, who reward the merits of the just and offer pardon to sinners who do penance, have mercy, we pray, on those who call upon you, that the admission of our guilt may serve to obtain your pardon for our sins. Amen (Collect)  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke