Fourth Sunday of Lent, Second Scrutiny of the Elect
Also Read: Mass Readings for 30 March 2025 Sunday Reflection by Maryanne – 30 March 2025
First Reading: Joshua 5: 9a, 10-12
“And the manna ceased”
The time of traveling and preparation is over. God brings Israel into the promised land, led by Joshua. Just as the sign of the manna itself was to point them toward their destination, so now the end of the manna is their sign that they have reached it. This does not mean the work is over, but it does mean that they are where they need to be in order to get it done.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
“Taste and see”
The metaphors of food and eating are not just used because of the obvious question of survival, though this cannot be discounted as the scarcity of food was a given, but because of the communion it created. One could see the love that was shared more clearly in the sharing, or tasting, or food. This Psalm carries its own weight in light of the first reading when it was the manna that carried Israel through the desert.
Second Reading: Second Corinthians 5: 17-21
“that we might be made the justice of God in him”
Because our souls are united with our bodies, what affects our body will often affect our soul. This becomes clear when we observe how we act when we are hungry compared to when we are satisfied. In the natural sense, we become more pleasant and agreeable. When we receive the supernatural food of the Eucharist, our souls should be affected for the better as well.
Gospel: Luke 15: 1-3,11-32
“This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them”
Just as the act of eating carried spiritual as well as material weight, so too did the company one kept while eating. We are not just being united to the food, letting it change us as we change it, but we are uniting ourselves with those whom we are eating. Similarly, they will affect us as we affect them. Jesus knew this and this is precisely why he wanted to eat with sinners. Thankfully, it can change us too.
