Readings:
Isaiah 49:8-15
John 5:17-30
Reflection:
Once again, we are reminded that Lent is a time of salvation, and the passage from Isaiah, familiar to us all, reminds us that God will never forget us; we are carved in the palm of God’s hands, cherished as partners of the covenant.
It is this concept of relationship that Jesus proclaims and defends in today’s passage from John’s Gospel. This simple idea becomes the radical basis of Jesus’ message to both the Jews and his own disciples. Jesus reshapes their image of God and challenges them and us to see God through our relationships. The intimate relationship Jesus has with his Father is reflected in the work he does. We are called to live and work in the same way, reflecting a God who is the source of all life and, therefore, the source of love.
Today as I read these passages of Scripture, I can’t help but be encouraged by the reassurance that God is with me and that it is my relationship with this loving God that should motivate my life and work. Success is measured by the love I show rather than my achievements, and the extent to which I am a source of life to others is the extent to which I do God’s will.
Margaret Bentley is a Salesian Sister and is currently the Academic Manager at the English Language Studies for Pastoral Ministry (ELSPM) begun by the Passionists in 2014 to enable their students to learn English before continuing to the Novitiate or theological studies.