Youths kneel in prayer during ODYC (Owensboro Diocese Youth Conference) on Nov. 19, 2022, held at the Knicely Center in Bowling Green. RILEY GREIF | WKC
Source & Summit: Fourth Sunday of Lent
(The faithful) taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is the source and summit of the whole Christian life, offer the Divine Victim to God, and themselves along with it.
-The Second Vatican Council fathers in Lumen Gentium, #11
Source & Summit is a feature of The Western Kentucky Catholic online, celebrating the National Eucharistic Revival: Year of Parish Revival. Intended to help Catholics of our parishes to probe the riches of our liturgical year and celebrate the liturgy well, the column will always start with the Bible readings for the Mass of the Day to help us reflect on, and help to “unpack” and expand our experiences at liturgy into the domestic church (the home) and the workplace.
Sunday reflections will be based on the Lord’s Day, the Liturgy, the Eucharist, and, occasionally, community.
March 10, 2024:
Fourth Sunday of Lent
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031024.cfm
2 Chronicles 36:14—16, 19—23
Psalm 137:1—6
Ephesians 2:4—10
John 3:14—21
The sunrise, another day, another opportunity to come to the light. Over and over, Christ seeks us in our darkness and He does so every day, no matter how comfortable we have become with our own darkness. This Lent calls us to conversion, to bring light to those dark, dark places. Our lives are messy and we get comfortable with our own darkness. We would rather stick with what we know than take a chance on God being welcomed into that messy part. This Fourth Sunday of Lent, Jesus and Nicodemus are in conversation about redemption, darkness, and light. This conversation reaches back to Moses and touches on the upcoming sacrifice of Jesus and the Son of God. Unlike Nicodemus, we know about the Passion, we know about the pain and darkness Christ must endure for us. It will always baffle me that Jesus said yes. He said yes to so much pain. He sought to do his Father’s will and in doing so went to the depths of the darkness. He does the same for us. Jesus says yes to our pain and darkness.
He wants to shake us out of our comfort and into His glory. I must admit that there have been many times in my life where I let the comfort win. I preferred to sit in the darkness I knew rather than to trust in the joy He had for me, weighing instant gratification as better than the eternal joy of Heaven. I recommend you listen to the gospel song by PJ Morton, “Over and Over.” Use this song as your prayer to come to Jesus every sunrise, over and over.
-Susana Solorza
Susana Solorza is the coordinator for Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Owensboro.
To learn more about the Diocese of Owensboro’s celebration of the National Eucharistic Revival, visit https://owensborodiocese.org/eucharistic-revival/.
