Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent • Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop & Doctor
π Today's Readings
- First Reading: Isaiah 49:8–15
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:8–9, 13cd–14, 17–18
- Gospel: John 5:17–30
π️ "Can a Mother Forget Her Child? I Will Never Forget You"
π Reflection
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
If you ever feel forgotten by God — too small, too sinful, too far gone — today's First Reading is a letter written directly to you.
Isaiah carries one of the most astonishing lines in all of Sacred Scripture: "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you."
God does not just love us the way a distant sovereign loves his subjects. He loves us the way a mother loves the child she has carried within her. With ache. With tenderness. With memory. With the kind of love that cannot simply switch off.
And the great Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, whose feast we celebrate today, spent his life teaching the newly baptised this very truth. His Catechetical Lectures prepared young Christians to enter the waters of Baptism understanding that they were entering into a relationship — with a God who is near, who is faithful, who does not forget.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of His perfect unity with the Father: "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work." The works of Jesus — healing, forgiving, raising the dead — are nothing less than the Father's love made visible in the world.
Everything Jesus does, He does as an expression of the Father's love for you.
You are not forgotten. You have never been forgotten. Your name is engraved on the palms of His hands.
Let that truth sink down deep into your heart today, especially if you are going through a time of darkness, loss, or spiritual dryness.
π‘ One Simple Message for Today God's love for you is deeper than a mother's love for her child — you are engraved on the palm of His hand.
π A Prayer for Today
Father, when I feel forgotten or alone, remind me of Your words today. You will never forget me. Let that love be the ground I walk on and the air I breathe. I am Yours. You are mine. That is enough. Amen.
πΏ Lenten Practice for Today
Write these words somewhere today and carry them with you: "I will never forget you — says the Lord." When anxiety or discouragement comes, return to this promise.
May the Lord bless you and keep you close to His Sacred Heart this holy season. π️
%20Virgin%20and%20Martyr.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment