spiritual direction – deacon rudy's notes

Welcome to another episode of deacon rudy’s notes! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together, we’re going to explore the readings for this weekend. Let’s get started!

Over these past weeks, our readings walked us through salvation history, beginning with Noah, then Abraham, and last week, the ten commandments. This week we learn that God allowed the Temple’s destruction to send a wake-up call to the people. Even our responsorial psalm tells the story of the Babylonian captivity. Why did this happen?

Scripture tells us that the people so relished the luxuries and pleasures of the world – undoubtedly many of the same sorts of treasures that Satan used in the desert to tempt Jesus. It worked on the people, and they forgot about God altogether. So, he allowed their world to collapse. But God’s mercy is limitless, and today we hear that God called his people back together. He even placed the responsibility of rebuilding the Temple in the hands of a pagan king.

It’s a great story. But we know how it turned out. It didn’t take long for the people to reduce God to a function – merely a checkbox on someone’s holy roller card. Once again, they didn’t get it. So, God sent His only son to lead the people out of the darkness and into the light.

Today’s Gospel which picks up right after the Temple’s cleansing that we heard about last weekend, gives us some insight. Now, a pharisee named Nicodemus visits Jesus at night. Why at night, I wonder? Was he trying to catch Jesus off-guard at the end of a busy day? Or is he beginning to realize that Jesus might be the messiah they’ve been waiting for?

Of course, we know that Nicodemus defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51). After bringing embalming spices, he helps Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus down from the cross and prepare his body for burial (John 19:39-42). But in today’s reading, Nicodemus came in the night.

There is this interesting exchange between Nicodemus and Jesus. Jesus says to him just a few verses earlier than we have in our Gospel reading today, “You just don’t get it” (John 3:10).

He first tells him, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). Now, why did Moses lift up the serpent according to Numbers (21:9)? To heal the people who suffered from the poison of snake bites. So, Jesus, in comparing Moses to what will happen at the crucifixion, tells us that Jesus will heal all of us across time.

Then Jesus says one of the most often quoted lines in Scripture: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (John 3:16). Now, this is a vitally important point! Out of God’s love for us, God gave us His son. Jesus is Gift.

Recall that Jesus says to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who is speaking to you…” (John 4:10). As the theologian Sandra M. Schneiders writes, “God is love expressed in the Gift who is Jesus.” <1>

Jesus goes on to say, “that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). What are these works of evil? Well, we could spend a lot of time talking about the seven deadly sins, for example, but we’re only going to touch on one of them right now: sloth.

Now, when we hear the word “sloth,” we might think of laziness. But actually, laziness is a symptom of the disease. Sloth means rejecting God’s concrete gifts to us as individuals. And that manifests in a variety of ways in our culture today.

Yes, a lazy person might be someone who wakes up late, doesn’t make their bed, and spends the whole day watching shows or gamming.

But sloth could also manifest as the “busy” person who gets to work on time and is busy all day long, but the same pile of work that greeted you in the morning is still on your desk when you leave for the day. This busyness masks laziness.

Sloth could also be the workaholic who loves working ten-hour days, six days a week, and even appreciates their income. The married workaholic ignores the gift of their spouse and children. The unmarried workaholic ignores the gift of their friends, family, and the world around them.

A teenager might demonstrate musical talent, but they refuse to practice. Why? Because they don’t believe they could be the best. They doubt they’ll make first chair or be the top of the class. If they can’t execute their talent perfectly, then why try? Perfectionism which might prevent us from embracing our gifts, is a form of sloth.

Maybe a college student is wildly intelligent. But perhaps this student doubts themselves. So, they choose to hide their intelligence or, worse, ignore it. Ignoring or neglecting God’s gift is sloth.

I’ve even heard people say to me that they don’t pray very well. Maybe their doubt prevents them from devoting more time to prayer. People really don’t like to look or feel silly, so a person who thinks they can’t pray neglects it. This person doubts the Holy Spirit’s gifts of faith, hope, and even time. This, too, is sloth. <2>

Sloth is a deadly sin because it causes us to reject the concrete gifts God gave each one of us. And the root of this deadly sin is ingratitude. Now, we’re getting to the kicker. St. Ignatius once wrote that at the heart of all sin is ingratitude. What are we ungrateful for? God’s gifts. So, we plot our own course. “We can do better than that” is undoubtedly the motto we use to encourage us forward. That’s what Jesus means when he says we prefer darkness to light (John 3:19) – our own course to God’s plan.

In today’s Gospel, we find that the God who is love gave us the gift of Jesus. Out of ingratitude, what was the response to God’s Gift? We murdered Jesus. Again, Sandra Schneiders tells us that when we take the “Gift of God” and murder Him, we “manifest the true nature of the sin of the world,’ that is, the rejection of the God who is love.” <3>

As we move through Lent toward Easter, we need to use our Lenten sacrifices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to help us identify examples of when we might reject the gifts and talents God gave us as individuals. Perhaps, with the help of the sacraments, especially reconciliation and a spiritual director’s help, we could try to identify root causes of ingratitude in our lives.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I invite you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, given the examples of sloth discussed, are there any examples in my life where I don’t fully appreciate the gifts God gave me?
Second, how can I use my Lenten sacrifices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving or spiritual exercises like the daily examen or an examination of conscience to understand examples of ingratitude in my life?

Doing our homework can help disciples use our gifts and talents to build up the Kingdom of God. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May almighty God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Silent Partner composed our theme music. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image Credit: Lent. Artist Unknown. JPG.

Notes:
<1> Sandra M. Schneiders, Jesus Risen in Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2013), 225, Kindle.
<2> These examples of sloth come from Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ and Carol Atwell Ackels, Finding Christ in the World: A Twelve Week Ignatian Retreat in Everyday Life (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2017), 102.
<3> Schneiders, 226.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015. Kindle.
2. Schneiders, Sandra M. Jesus Risen in Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2013. Kindle.
3. Tetlow, Joseph A. SJ and Carol Atwell Ackels. Finding Christ in the World: A Twelve Week Ignatian Retreat in Everyday Life. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2017.
4. Williamson, Peter S. Ephesians. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2009. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. God wants to give man eternal life: 55
2. Faith as a grace: 153
3. Christ as Savior: 389, 457-58, 846, 1019, 1507
4. God takes the initiative to love us: 604-5
5. Christ the Lord of eternal life: 679
6. Name of the Holy Spirit: 691
7. Israel’s exile foreshadowed the Passion: 710
8. Baptism: 1214-16
9. Baptism makes us a new creature: 1265-66
10. Necessity of works: 1815
11. Divinization: 1988, 1996
12. Graces and charisms: 2003
13. All our merit from Christ: 2006-11
14. Seated with Christ in the heavens, 2796

Fourth Sunday of Lent https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031421-YearB.cfm
Year B
Lectionary: 32

Reading 1
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people
added infidelity to infidelity,
practicing all the abominations of the nations
and polluting the LORD’s temple
which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers,
send his messengers to them,
for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.
But they mocked the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets,
until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed
that there was no remedy.
Their enemies burnt the house of God,
tore down the walls of Jerusalem,
set all its palaces afire,
and destroyed all its precious objects.
Those who escaped the sword were carried captive to Babylon,
where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons
until the kingdom of the Persians came to power.
All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah:
“Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths,
during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest
while seventy years are fulfilled.”

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah,
the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia
to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom,
both by word of mouth and in writing:
“Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth
the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me,
and he has also charged me to build him a house
in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people,
let him go up, and may his God be with him!”

Responsorial
Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
For there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
“Sing for us the songs of Zion!”
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

Reading 2
Ephesians 2:4-10
Brothers and sisters:
God, who is rich in mercy,
because of the great love he had for us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
brought us to life with Christ — by grace you have been saved —,
raised us up with him,
and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come
He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them

Verse Before the Gospel
John 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Gospel
John 3:14-21
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Share this: