Weekly Gospel Reflection

In this week's scripture, Jesus says to Nicodemus, "Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved."

There are several parts to unpack in this passage. First the question of sacrifice so that others may have eternal life. Where does this come from? And who would have known what this means? It's important to remember that Jesus was not a Christian but rather a Jewish figure. Jewish people were deeply familiar with Old Testament stories from their upbringing. When hearing about sacrifice, they would have immediately thought about the story of Abraham, who was willing to offer his son under God's command.

They would also think of Moses, who instructed the Jewish people to sacrifice a lamb and consume it with unleavened bread, marking their doors with the lamb's blood for God's protection. This event became known as Passover, a tradition Jesus observed during the Last Supper, which, in turn, laid the foundation for the rituals in the Mass.

The second part to this is that God loves the world so much. This passage helps us understand that our God is a caring and loving God who would do anything for us.  

While parallels exist between the sacrificial lamb of Moses and Jesus, there are fundamental differences. While Moses aimed to liberate the Jewish people from Egypt, Jesus sought to free all of humanity from sin. Moreover, through His sacrifice, we were given eternal life. This sacrifice changed the relationship between God and people. No longer were people merely "servants" obeying God's commands; we now understood that we were children of God. 

What does this mean for us today? We are called to reflect on Jesus's sacrifice for us and consider how we can perpetuate this idea by making sacrifices for others. This may involve forgoing that extra latte to donate to charity, dedicating our time to be with someone in need of a friend, or willingly stepping aside to let someone else bask in the spotlight rather than taking credit for an action.

Dear Lord, 

Grant, we pray, the courage and the humility to make difficult choices

 for the good of the world, 

that our sacrifice might alleviate some of the world's suffering

 and thus be pleasing to you. 

St John Vianney, 

Pray for us. 

By Jonathan Rooney - REL