Open with a prayer: God of our ancestors, we thank you for gathering us together in your name. We thank you for continuing to be patient with us when we fail to follow your ways. Help us during this Lenten journey to commit ourselves more fully to you. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sharing life: What are you most and least grateful for this week?
Facilitator reads focus statement: The first reading speaks of Israel's infidelities to God despite his "early and often" outreach to them. The second and third readings emphasize that our salvation is a free gift, which we can accept or reject.
Now read the assigned readings, pausing briefly after each reading.
FIRST READING: 2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23
The author of the two books of Chronicles judged Israel's kings and people according to their fidelity or infidelity to their covenant with God. In this reading, which has three parts to it, we first hear about the people's outright infidelity to God despite his mercy and warnings to change. In the second part, we hear how God finally "loses his cool" with Israel. The Chaldeans are God's instrument of punishment. The Israelites' beloved Jerusalem and temple are destroyed. Many people are killed. Survivors are carried off to Babylon to live in exile and slavery. The reading ends on a note of hope - a new pagan king named Cyrus issues a decree permitting the exiles to return home and rebuild their city and temple.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM 137
This psalm is sometimes called "The Song of the Exile." It gives us a vivid description of how the Israelites felt when they lived in exile in Babylon.
SECOND READING: Ephesians 2: 4-10
In these beautiful verses, Paul calls to mind God's amazing mercy and grace, which raised us up from the death that comes through sin. Our salvation is pure gift. We can do nothing to earn it. But we can thank God for his saving grace by living lives filled with good works.
GOSPEL: John 3: 14-21
On their way through the desert, many of the Israelites were bitten by serpents and some of them died. At God's command, Moses made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole. Whoever looked
at the serpent was healed. Likewise, all who look to Christ with faith and repentance will be saved. Believing in Christ is a choice to live in the light. We can open our hearts to the light or we can reject the light. The choice is ours. Acceptance of the light will lead us to heaven. Rejection of the light will lead us to eternal damnation. In reality, God sends no one to hell. It is something we opt for, by deliberately and consciously choosing to live our lives without God.
FAITH SHARING QUESTIONS
1. In last week's reading, Jesus became very angry with the merchants in the Temple. In this week's first reading, God's patience runs out with the Israelites and he unleashes his anger in a most ferocious way. How does the image of an angry God make you feel? How might such an image impact your relationship with him?
2. In the first reading, God uses a pagan king to achieve his purposes. How does it make you feel that God may be using or has used some politicians and other people you despise to achieve his good purposes? Can you think of an example?
3. The second reading reminds us that we can do absolutely nothing to earn our salvation. Did you grow up believing this? Do you believe it today? To what extent do you presently act or behave as if you had to earn your salvation? If you no longer believe this, what helped you to see that salvation is the free gift of God?
4. Do you believe in hell? How do you square its existence with an all-loving God? If you believe in hell, who do you think goes there?
RESPONDING TO GOD'S WORD
Name one way you can act on today's readings. Suggestion: If you still act as if you have to earn your salvation, try to change your behavior. Instead see your actions as a response to a God who loves you very much. If you have quit on your Lenten resolutions, start up again. If you have been faithful, praise God for the grace of fidelity.
CONCLUDE WITH PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION
Pray for all who suffer from a hardened heart and have no desire to seek God and his ways. Pray for our Elect.
CLOSING PRAYER
Thank you God of love for loving us so much that you sent your Son to save us. Free us from any tendencies we have toward believing we must earn our salvation. Help us to cooperate with your grace.