Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 22, 2020
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.
This Gospel seems like a series of direct and systematic answers to the mystery of our faith.
Just before this passage, we’re introduced to Nicodemus, a high priest who comes to Jesus at night to ask about Jesus’ teaching authority. He questions how a person can live in the spirit and be born again (Jn 3:4).
As readers, we can relate to his confusion. How is it possible to feel God’s spirit and become a new person? Is Jesus really who he says he is?
Jesus answers Nicodemus’ doubts and directly tells of his purpose to bring salvation to the world as God’s Son. He explains that we are born of the spirit much like we experience the wind—we cannot see the spirit but we can sense it and know its power (Jn 3:8).
In this Gospel, John is expounding on the saving mission Jesus reveals to Nicodemus: he describes Jesus’ relationship to God the Father, and the nature of the Father’s love. We know of God’s loving kindness, light, and truth through Jesus.
I imagine sitting next to Nicodemus the night he sought out Jesus, asking detailed questions with him, being puzzled by these radical teachings about God the Father and belief in such a powerful love. How appropriate that this reading appears during the Easter season when our hearts are longing, like Nicodemus’, to be convinced that the light of the Resurrection overcomes the darkness of death and evil.
Was Nicodemus transformed? Well, he appears twice more in John’s Gospel: in chapter 7, he defends Jesus before his Passion, and in chapter 19 he delivers burial spices for Jesus’ body. To some degree, among his fellow Pharisees, he was moved to give Jesus a chance and to care for his body after his death.
How will such a generous love transform us this Easter?
Prayer
Lord God, we humbly pray that we may always walk with Jesus, the light of the world. Remove any darkness from our hearts that we may always walk as children of the light. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Lucius was mentioned by Paul at the end of his letter to the Romans, where Paul refers to Lucius as “my relative.” He may have been one of the 72 followers chosen by Christ himself. He was chosen to lead the Church in Laodicea as bishop and was martyred for his faith. The relics of St. Lucius rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Lucius, you worked with Paul to build the early Christian Church—pray for us!