4th Sunday in Lent March 19, 2023

Father Rick’s Two Minute Homily for 4th Sunday in Lent
March 19, 2023, John 4:1-41
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031923.cfm

Out of Sight, Out of Touch

I was with my sister Bev when she was doing crossword puzzles. And I’m busy doing something else, reading or watching TV, and out of the blue, she gets excited and goes, “Oh!”

I’m so engrossed in my book or movie that I jump and think something is wrong with her. She gets this funny grin and says she got the answer to her crossword puzzle. And we both have a good laugh.

And isn’t that what we call an “aha” moment?

Another “aha” moment, maybe one of the most powerful is when mercy fills your heart for someone who hurt you. Or perhaps you offended someone and can’t bear telling them you are sorry.

Blindness to the heart of Jesus in us is scary.

I experienced this so many times in the confessional. A person reaches the point they can’t live with that pain anymore. The love for the person is crying out, “I don’t care what happened. I want to be with them again.” Dare to listen to that cry deep within our hearts. A light dawns in the shadows of that blindness, and we begin to see them, not what they did.

It’s like the blind man Jesus to go and wash after he rubbed mud on his eyes. As we confess such helplessness to be able to do anything to change, lightness rises from within us out of nowhere. And it’s so freeing that tears fill our eyes.

For me, it’s one of the greatest “aha” moments I can ever have. My friends, take it from a confessor who is also a penitent himself: we never have to fear the light that Jesus will shine in the darkness of our hearts. Every time, this light will overpower our darkness.

Gospel Challenge:
Let’s pray for each other that we can all have those “aha” life-changing moments. And this is the key – We never have to be afraid to tell Jesus, “Lord, I want to see.”

IGNITE THE FIRE

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC

www.bscchurch.com

For your convenience, The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available every evening during Lent, starting on March 22 from 6-7 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Wed., April 5.

Please join us for a Penance Service on Tuesday, March 21, when several priests will hear Confessions.

No confessions will be heard from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday. Please take advantage of this opportunity. We will continue to have confessions on Saturdays from 3-4 p.m.

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