Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday)
We are now deep into Lent. We have had time to consider our sins, and now it is good for us to consider their root causes. Ultimately, St. Ignatius lays every sin at the feet of one sin: ingratitude. Ingratitude makes us think we can do as we please with what we have. Through ingratitude, we fail to recognize just how dependent we are on God. Thus, we fail to recognize so many things as gifts from God, out of His great love for us.
Jesus tells us today that the greatest gift the Father has given us is His Son: “for God so loved the world, He gave His only Son” (Jn. 3:16). Jesus Christ Himself is a gift to us. Because of this gift, we can see and interact with God in a human way. We can experience our faith not merely as a preference sheet, but as part of a personal relationship. If we are ungrateful, we take our faith and salvation for granted, think ourselves far better than we really are, and miss out on a personal experience of God’s love.
The next few weeks will allow us to grow in gratitude for the gift that is Christ. Next Sunday, many churches will veil statues and holy images, as a reminder of how our sins have separated us from the saints. Then, Palm Sunday, when we see our Lord die. Experience the absence of Christ. Come to appreciate what it means for Jesus to be at your side and remember Paul’s words today that none of what we have for salvation was earned by us. Above all, be grateful for Jesus, and His presence in your life.