My dear friends,
Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!
My dear beloved sisters and brothers,
I wanted to ask you, my sisters and brothers about your experiences this week. Did God surprise you or challenge you? Nowadays, people are experiencing “indifference”. Indifference, also known as apathy, is a lack of interest, concern, or enthusiasm, resulting in a feeling of detachment or unconcern for something or someone.
I experienced that “indifference” this week. While I was walking my dogs at a downtown park, I said hi or hello to people whom I met—a group of three people were walking and they did not even respond to me. I met them twice at the park. Maybe they did not hear me, but still I was really surprised by that. Another incident was when I saw someone who was struggling to stand on the road. People just passed by that person and didn’t seem to care at all. Indifference is really here with us – people don’t care anymore.
This Sunday, Jesus shows that He cares for us. God remains the ultimate source of unexpected grace and mercy. In this Fifth Sunday of Lent, we reflect on how God’s surprises are not meant to confuse us but to transform us. In the Gospel of John 8:1-11, Jesus surprises the Pharisees by offering mercy instead of condemnation to the woman caught in adultery. God’s surprises lead to transformation. Have you ever felt unworthy? Remember, God is always at work, renewing and restoring us.
Let us pray that this Lent, we try our best to offer love and care to others and make a difference. We open our hearts also to God’s unexpected grace and trust in His divine plan. AMEN God loves you!
~ Fr. NEIL