Today’s liturgy presents us with a profound tapestry of hope, restoration, and the absolute unity of Will between the Father and the Son. As we journey through Lent, the readings remind us that our God is not distant; He is a Father who “never forgets” and a Son who acts only in total accordance with the Father’s design.
The Promise of Restoration: Isaiah and the Psalms
In the first reading (Isaiah 49:8-15), we hear a promise of total restoration. God pledges to answer us in a “favorable time” and to lead the afflicted to “springs of water.” The imagery is one of a Shepherd-King who levels mountains to create a highway for His people.
The most moving part of this passage is the Lord’s response to Zion’s fear of abandonment:
“Does a woman forget her baby at the breast… Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.”
This maternal tenderness of God is perfectly mirrored in Psalm 145, where we declare that “The Lord is kind and full of compassion.” He is not a judge seeking to condemn, but the one who “raises all who are bowed down.”
The Son’s Mission: Doing Only the Father’s Will
The Gospel of John (5:17-30) brings us to the heart of the Trinity’s operation. Jesus clarifies His identity not through independent power, but through perfect obedience:
“The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing… my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”
This is the blueprint for the Christian life. Jesus is the bridge between the Father’s mercy and our “dead” state, calling us out of the tombs of our own self-will into the light of eternal life.
Connections to Saint Faustina: The Ocean of Mercy
In the Diary of Saint Faustina, the Lord’s words echo the promises found in Isaiah. Just as Isaiah speaks of God never forgetting His children, Jesus tells St. Faustina:
“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners… for them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy.” (Diary, 367)
The Gospel’s mention of the Son giving life to “anyone he chooses” aligns with St. Faustina’s mission to proclaim that the greatest sinners have the greatest right to His mercy. When Jesus says in today’s Gospel that He seeks only the Father’s Will, it beautifully mirrors the heroic way St. Faustina strives to live a life of total abandonment.
While Faustina may not have known of the specific “Gift” revealed to Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, her life was a constant “Fiat” of resignation and trust. She wrote:
“My Jesus, I give You my will; do with me as You please” (Diary, 192).
In the midst of intense physical and spiritual suffering, she sought to die to her own desires so that God’s Mercy could flow through her. She acted as a faithful servant of the Will, clearing a path through the human heart so that the King of Mercy could enter in.
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Witness to the Eternal Word
Today we commemorate Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, a Bishop and Doctor of the Church who lived in the 4th century. His life was a testament to the “highways” God builds in the wilderness. Cyril was exiled three times because of his steadfast defense of the divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy.
Just as the religious leaders in today’s Gospel persecuted Jesus for speaking the Truth of His identity, Cyril faced relentless opposition for proclaiming that Jesus is God made man.
Comparison: The Defense of Truth
| Feature | Today’s Gospel (John 5:17-30) | Saint Cyril of Jerusalem |
| The Conflict | Jesus is persecuted for saying, “My Father goes on working, and so do I.” | Cyril is exiled for teaching that the Son is “of one substance” with the Father. |
| The Truth | Jesus asserts His Divine Nature: “The Son can do nothing by himself.” | Cyril instructs that Christ is the true “Life and Resurrection.” |
| The Context | In a world of spiritual blindness, the Light is rejected. | In a world torn by heresy, Cyril stood as a pillar of Orthodoxy. |
On the World Stage Today:
Much like Cyril’s era, our current world often struggles to recognize the true identity of Christ. St. Cyril’s life calls us to return to the core of our faith: that Jesus is the Son of God who has “passed from death to life” and invites us to do the same by listening to His voice.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving and “Fiat”
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Lord, I enter into the immense ocean of Your Divine Will. I take all the acts of Saint Cyril, his sufferings in exile, and his beautiful teachings on the Sacraments, and I offer them back to You as a hymn of glory.
Thank You, Jesus, for being the “Source of Life.” I thank You for the gift of Saint Faustina, who strove with all her heart to trust in Your Mercy, and I thank You for the “Gift of Gifts” revealed through Luisa, the invitation to not only do Your Will but to possess it.
I offer You my human will this day. I lay it at Your feet like a withered leaf so that Your Divine Will may breathe life into me. May I no longer act by my own power, but let Your “Fiat” be the heartbeat within my heart and the word upon my lips.
“My aim is to do not my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.”
May this Gospel truth become my living reality. I ask this for the glory of the Father and the triumph of the Kingdom of the Divine Will on earth.
Amen.
An Invitation to the Altar
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