Today, we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Lent, known as Laetare Sunday, Sunday of Joy! Indeed, we celebrate joy because we are recipients of God’s love which is the theme of our gospel for today.

Approaching Nicodemus, Jesus said: "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". After this dialogue, Nicodemus no longer appears. It is not known whether he would have stepped back or believed Jesus' words. What is certain is that he doesn't say anything or ask any more questions. Was he listening and learning from Jesus? We really don’t know. Nicodemus makes a handful of appearances after that and the famous one is his participation in the burial of the body of Jesus, a good proof that his encounter with Jesus bears fruit.

When Nicodemus leaves the scene, we enter. More than speaking, we are invited to listen to Jesus’s message. His revelation is something essential, really central to the Gospel of John, the great love of God to the world. If God loves the world, He loves every human being, He loves each one of us.

The proof of that love is on the cross. Jesus did not refuse it, out of fidelity to the Father and out of love for humanity. Christ on the cross embraces all of humanity, excluding no one. Jesus on the cross is the sign of our salvation and the light that shines and illuminates our lives, revealing what is good (light) and what is bad (darkness) in each one, in the community and in society.

Looking at Jesus lifted on the cross means believing in him – which is not just a gesture of intellectual adherence but a commitment to follow and serve Him. To identify our life with His, means to follow His footsteps both in words and deeds. When love becomes our main energy, we are capable of extraordinary things. It is the strength that makes us overcome with joy the most difficult obstacles. Spending life for love is the most noble way of valuing it and making it a great gift for God and for our brothers and sisters.

No other person who can lead us to love selflessly and unconditionally but Jesus alone. He is the LOVE of God the Father made flesh and lived among us.

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The gospel this Sunday contains a very popular verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that anyone who believes in him might be saved.” This is the core of today’s good news and should be a source of great joy for all of us. God’s offer was free and communicated the fullness of Grace.

The condition of this offer is clear and simple: “…So that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may be saved.” This reminds us the beauty of our Catholic faith: that Grace is not opposed to faith. They must be together, they are cohesive in our salvation, hence, they work together. The gospel reminds us that God has made Grace and salvation available to us this season of Lent. And on our part, we must be ready to accept this offer through faith in Christ.

In the second reading, Paul reminds us of our former state and how God the Father, through His Son, Jesus, we were redeemed from eternal damnation: “…When we were dead through sin, He brought us to life with Christ.” This is simply a manifestation of God’s love and mercy. Most importantly, it highlights the Grace of God in action. Laetare Sunday is our way of rejoicing because God has shown us mercy through his Grace in spite of our sinfulness. However, Paul calls our attention to an essential point and question, “shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” Clearly, the answer is no. Paul is reminding the people of Rome to never take the grace of redemption for granted the same way our reading for today is telling us that we have to play our part as well. Its like God is giving us the best playbook and the only thing we need is the effort to know and enact through that same playbook. God has saved us through Grace, but he expects us to nourish the new life by living a good life. So, the purpose of saving us through his Grace is clear: “To live a good life, as he meant us to live it from the beginning.” Yes, this is what Grace did for us. It restored us to the life of innocence. So, we must appreciate what God has done for us through Christ.

In conclusion, we are called to rejoice today because Grace has been made available, and our salvation is close at hand. What we simply need to do is, believe, and live the good life for which God created from the beginning. The good life means living as faithful children of God. It means living for God day after day and time after time. This is the only way our joy can be complete.

Heavenly Father, you have sent your Son into the world out of pure love, ready to die for sinners like us. Give us the ways to show our love for you through the Words and inspiration of your Son Jesus, our Savior and Lord.