Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 3:16-21

 

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten 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-begotten 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.

 

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear one of the most popular bible verses of all – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” God sent Jesus to us not to condemn us, but to save us from our sins. He sent his Son, to suffer and die for us so that on the third day He would rise again to save us from the fires of Hell. He came to save us from the darkness. Jesus is the eternal light that came into the world to show us the way. Unfortunately, darkness still lurks in the world. Jesus tells us that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” This is still the case today. How many times do we hear about the evil that has inflicted society. Greed and envy run rampant in businesses at the expense of the common worker. We look at the economic condition of the world today and it is not the fault of God, but the fault of greed and lust of men.  Some would like us to think that what is happening is punishment from God, but in reality, it is purely the fault of man himself.  Poverty and hunger still have a strong grip on a large part of the world. “For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” For us to find the light, we must reveal the sins which have kept us in the darkness. To find Christ, we must be willing to dispel the things which prevent us from finding the gate. This passage is all about right judgment. We must chose the things we love. We either love the darkness or we love the light. If we chose the light, we chose the glory of God. What we love is the clearest window into our soul. “But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Christ Jesus, you are gift which saves us from our sins.

You are the light which leads us to the gate.

Strengthen our will so we can find the light of God.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon