Sunday Readings
Commentary and Reflections
4th Sunday of Lent B (Laetare)
March 15, 2015
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
As aid in focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM
1st reading: 2 Chr 36,14-17.19-23
Sin
A simple outline!
14 In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests and the people added infidelity to
infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the LORD'S temple
which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 Early and often did the LORD, the God of their
fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his
dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and
scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the LORD against his people was so inflamed
that there was no remedy.
Punishment (Destruction of the Jerusalem and Exile)
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17 Then he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men
in their own sanctuary building, sparing neither young man nor maiden, neither the aged
nor the decrepit; he delivered all of them over into his grip. 19 They burnt the house of God,
tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces afire, and destroyed all its precious
objects. 20 Those who escaped the sword he carried captive to Babylon, where they
became his and his sons' servants until the kingdom of the Persians came to power. 21 All
this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its
lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are
fulfilled."
Forgiveness (Return)
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22 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken
by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout
his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: 23 "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
'All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has
also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore,
among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!'"
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The focus is on sin, punishment and forgiveness.
Textual Context of 2 Chr 36,14-17.19-23
Outline (NABRE):
I. The Reign of Solomon (1,1—9,31)
II. The Monarchy Before Hezekiah (10,1—27,9)
III. Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah (28,1—36,1)
IV. End of the Kingdom (36,2-23)
Jehoahaz 36,2-4
Jehoiakim 36,5-8
Jehoiachin 36,9-10
Zedekiah 36,11-14
Dissolution of Judah 36,15-21
Decree of Cyrus 36,22-23
539
538
520
Cyrus the Persian victory
Decree of Freedom
Temple Rebuilt
500
458
445
400
Ezra’s mission
Nehemiah arrives
1st reading: 2 Chr 36,14-17.19-23
Sin
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14 In those days, all the
princes of Judah, the priests
and the people added
infidelity to infidelity,
practicing all the
abominations of the nations
and polluting the LORD'S
temple which he had
consecrated in Jerusalem.
15 Early and often did the
LORD, the God of their
fathers, send his
messengers to them, for he
had compassion on his
people and his dwelling
place. 16 But they mocked
the messengers of God,
despised his warnings, and
scoffed at his prophets, until
the anger of the LORD
against his people was so
inflamed that there was no
remedy.
Commentary
 2 Chron is part of Chronicler’s History,
composed after the Exile.
 V.14 says that the political leaders,
religious leaders and the ordinary
people have sinned against God.
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They committed infidelity to infidelity.
(non-stop violation of the law)
They practiced abominations…
(paganism)
They polluted the Lord’s temple. (no
respect for the place)
V.16 also enumerates the sins of the
people:
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They made fun of the prophets of God.
They despised his warnings. They did
not heed his threats.
They scoffed at his prophets.
1st reading: 2 Chr 36,14-17.19-23
Punishment
17 Then he brought up against
them the king of the Chaldeans,
who slew their young men in their
own sanctuary building, sparing
neither young man nor maiden,
neither the aged nor the decrepit;
he delivered all of them over into
his grip. 19 They burnt the house
of God, tore down the walls of
Jerusalem, set all its palaces
afire, and destroyed all its
precious objects. 20 Those who
escaped the sword he carried
captive to Babylon, where they
became his and his sons'
servants until the kingdom of the
Persians came to power. 21 All
this was to fulfill the word of the
LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until
the land has retrieved its lost
sabbaths, during all the time it lies
waste it shall have rest while
seventy years are fulfilled."
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Vv.17,19 and 20 indicate how the people
of Judah are punished:
God used the king of the Chaldeans
(Babylonians) to punish them:
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All were slain. V.17
Temple was burnt. (house of God).
Walls (protection) were
dismantled/demolished.
Palaces burnt. (houses of kings and
princes) v.19
Valuables (archives, vessels) were
destroyed.v.19
Survivors were exiled to Babylon. Forced
eviction. V.20
Terrible was God’s punishment upon his
sinful people, whom he expected to be
holy.
They were punished until the time of the
Persians (537 BC), in fulfillment of
Jeremiah’s prophecy (before the Exile).
1st reading: 2 Chr 36,14-17.19-23
Forgiveness
 22 In the first year of Cyrus,
king of Persia, in order to
fulfill the word of the LORD
spoken by Jeremiah, the
LORD inspired King Cyrus
of Persia to issue this
proclamation throughout his
kingdom, both by word of
mouth and in writing: 23
"Thus says Cyrus, king of
Persia: 'All the kingdoms of
the earth the LORD, the
God of heaven, has given
to me, and he has also
charged me to build him a
house in Jerusalem, which
is in Judah. Whoever,
therefore, among you
belongs to any part of his
people, let him go up, and
may his God be with him!'"

Vv.22-23 indicate how God restores his
people to Jerusalem.
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He inspired Cyrus (the Great), the king of
Persia (now Iran) to return the people
back to Judah.
This is in fulfillment of the prophecy of
Jeremiah, the prophet during the
invasion of Judah by the Babylonians.
Cyrus acknowledges that he has been
authorized by God to build a Temple in
Jerusalem (to allow the rebuilding of the
Temple) and allow the Jewish people to
go back to Judah.
Cyrus ends this reading with good
wishes to the returning people.
Reflections on the 1st reading
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God abhors sin. It is an insult to God.
Sin is not just private. Sin can be committed by the
community. It can be communal and structural.
God does not tolerate sin, especially if it is left
unabated.
If we do not stop sinning, God will stop us.
The punishment is great:
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Demolition and destruction of the place where you sin, even in
temples.
Violent death to all, including young men and women (who are
supposed to procreate).
Exile (you are driven away from your homes and workplaces).
Should we wait for our own destructions before we
change our ways?
We should live holy lives now, not to earn the ire of God.
Resp. Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6.
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R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!
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1 By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the aspens (poplars) of that land
we hung up our harps.
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3 For there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"
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4 How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
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6 May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
Resp. Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6.

R. (6ab) Let my tongue be
silenced, if I ever forget you!
1 By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the aspens (poplars) of that land
we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be
joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"
4 How could we sing a song of the
LORD in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
6 May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
Commentary
 The psalm is classified as
community lament.
 It is supposedly composed by the
musicians of the Temple of
Jerusalem, who were exiled to
Babylon.
 V.1 indicates the feelings of the
musicians (we sat and wept).
 V.2 indicates the musical
instrument they were using
(harps) in Jerusalem.
 V.3 tells us how the Babylonians
asked the Exiles to sing their
songs.
 V.4 expresses a strong feeling of
the Exiles in the form of a
question.
 Vv.5-6 indicate that the musicians
will never forget Jerusalem. It is
their joy to remember the Holy City.
Reflections on the Psalm
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Many of us today sing like the Exiled Judeans,
because of migrations.
Memories connect us with our origins.
They are in the form of music, musical instruments,
costumes, and affection for the place and people.
Are we ready to sing our songs, present our culture
and faith in foreign lands, when solicited?
No matter where we are, we must exude joy
because we remember and we can perform, using
our talents.
2nd reading: Ephesians 2,4-10
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4 God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love
he had for us, 5 even when we were dead in our
transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace
you have been saved), 6 raised us up with him, and
seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7
that in the ages to come he might show the
immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us
in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of
God; 9 it is not from works, so no one may boast. 10
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for
the good works that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.
The focus is on God’s rich mercy.
Textual Context of Eph 2,4-10
Outline by Perkins
Greeting (1,1-2)
Thanksgiving for redemption and knowledge of heavenly mysteries in Christ (1:3-14)
Through the apostle God has made the Gentiles alive in Christ (1:15-3:21)
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Prayer for the faith, love and hope of those whom God has made part of the body of the
heavenly Christ (1:15-23)
Contrast between their old "death" in sin and life in Christ (2:1-10)
Reconciliation of the Gentiles to God in the one body of Christ(2:11-22)
Paul's suffering and ministry to bring the Gentiles into the body of Christ (3:1-13)
Prayer for faith and love among Paul's converts (3:14-21)
Christian life in the world (4:1-6:20)
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Unity in the body of Christ which is built up by different ministries (4:1-16)
Old life in "darkness" contrasted with new life as "children of light" (4:17-5:21)
Household code: Marriage in Christ; children and parents; slaves and masters (5:22-6:9)
2nd reading: Ephesians 2,4-10
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4 God, who is rich in mercy,
because of the great love he
had for us, 5 even when we
were dead in our
transgressions, brought us to
life with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), 6 raised
us up with him, and seated us
with him in the heavens in
Christ Jesus, 7 that in the
ages to come he might show
the immeasurable riches of his
grace in his kindness to us in
Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace
you have been saved through
faith, and this is not from you;
it is the gift of God; 9 it is not
from works, so no one may
boast. 10 For we are his
handiwork, created in Christ
Jesus for the good works that
God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.
Commentary
 V.4 acknowledges God’s richness in
mercy, because of his great love.
 V.5 highlights God’s mercy. His mercy
operates even when we are in sin.
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V.6 says that God raises us up. And
he seats us with Jesus in heaven.
V.7 tells us the motive of God for
saving sinners:
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To show his limitless love for all ages.
V.8 reiterates how we are saved: by
grace, through faith.
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We owe this to the efforts of Jesus.
It is God’s gift.
V.9 also reiterates that we do not earn
our salvation.
V.10 acknowledges that we are Godmade. He has made and created us
and destined us to live in good works.
Reflections on the 2nd reading
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We, catholics, must learn that we do not merit our
salvation.
We must acknowledge that our salvation is God’s
work through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we must stop believing that we can save
ourselves.
What, then, is the role of good works?
Good works are signs that we are accepting God’s
ways and gifts in our lives.
Good works are concrete signs that we are
appreciative of God’s limitless mercy and love.
A simple outline!
Gospel reading: John 3,14-21
Eternal life
 4 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in
him may have eternal life." 16 For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him
will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has
already been condemned, because he has not believed in the
name of the only Son of God.
Judgment
 19 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but
people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and
does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be
exposed. 21 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so
that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
The focus is on having eternal life.
Gospel reading: John 3,14-21
Eternal life
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14 And just as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the
desert, so must the Son
of Man be lifted up, 15 so
that everyone who
believes in him may have
eternal life." 16 For God
so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in
him might not perish but
might have eternal life.
17 For God did not send
his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but
that the world might be
saved through him. 18
Whoever believes in him
will not be condemned,
but whoever does not
believe has already been
condemned, because he
has not believed in the
name of the only Son of
God.
Commentary
 V.14 recalls the fiery serpent in the desert during
the time of Moses. The people bitten by the
snake were saved by looking at the bronze
serpent lifted up.
 It is a way to explain the meaning of the
crucifixion of Jesus. V.15
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V.16 goes deeper into God’s act: For God so
loved the world… that we may have eternal life
again as in v.15.
V.17 strengthens the position of God in sending
his Son:
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To save the world, not to condemn it, unlike the fiery
serpent in the desert.
V.18 concretely states who are to be saved:
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The meaning is that everyone of us may have eternal
life.
Those who believe in him.
It also states that those who don’t are not saved.
Salvation is not automatic. It demands a
response of faith in his only Son.
Gospel reading: John 3,14-21
Judgment
 19 And this is the
verdict, that the light
came into the world, but
people preferred
darkness to light,
because their works
were evil. 20 For
everyone who does
wicked things hates the
light and does not come
toward the light, so that
his works might not be
exposed. 21 But
whoever lives the truth
comes to the light, so
that his works may be
clearly seen as done in
God.
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V.19 is harsh on people
who prefer living in
darkness and doing evil.
They will be condemned
as stated in v.18.
V.20 describes the nature
of evildoers: they hate the
light, for it exposes their
evil deeds.
V.21 states the fact of a
believer: they come to the
light. They are not afraid
to be exposed in the light.
Reflections on the gospel reading
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We, Christians, are saved by God through his
Son.
God loves us and the world.
He promises us eternal life, as long as we
believe in his Son.
It is not his plan to condemn us.
But if we choose to do evil deeds, surely we will
be condemned.
Faith and evil deeds do not go together.
There is no salvation in evil deeds.
Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
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The first reading warns those who do evil deeds.
They should repent to avoid punishment.
The psalm reflects on the condition of punished
people.
The second reading attributes our salvation to
Jesus.
The gospel reading teaches us how to have eternal
life.
In this season of Lent, we remind people to repent from their wicked
deeds. Heaven cannot be attained while we remain in sin.
How to develop your homily / sharing
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We should be reminded that the ultimate goal in life
is not fulfillment of our ambitions, but sharing in
God’s life.
We should take this destiny seriously.
Oftentimes, we forget that there is such a thing as
eternal life or heaven.
This is due to the fact that we are too much
engrossed with our affairs, our businesses and small
time concerns to the point of sinning.
If we have committed sin after sin, we must repent.
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If we want to go back to God, we must abide by
God’s rules.
The first reading describes what happens to those
who consistently sin (infidelity after infidelity, non-stop
doing foolishness), doing abominations (abhorrent,
aberration), not listening to the words of the prophets
and do not repent.
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They will be severely punished. (They will be banished and
will be forced to stop their foolishness).
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The reading invites sinners to repent or else…
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But we should not miss an important point in the
reading.
God is also forgiving.
He restores people after having served their
sentence (after being punished).
The reading invites us sinners to repent from sin and
live in God’s protection.
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The second reading emphasizes God’s
magnanimity. He loves us even if we are still
sinners.
His love cannot be turned off (is not diminished)
by our sins.
He remains the same, a loving God,
especially to those who repent.
Therefore, let us repent. Let us take
advantage of God’s love.
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The gospel reading assures us that the
condemnation of anyone is never in God’s agenda.
In fact, he has sent his Son to bring us back to God
even if we have condemned ourselves by sinning.
But we must answer his invitation to live his life.
Faith in his Son, who calls us to repentance, is basic
to our salvation.
The gospel of John has always taught us that Jesus
is God’s instrument in giving us life.
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Lest someone says that Christian religion is too
other-life centered, it must be clear that we cannot
really set our hearts and minds to heaven, unless
we live our lives to the full here and now.
The gospel passage does not allow our minds to
soar high (in heaven) as if nothing else (on earth)
matters.
It is important to live our faith concretely where we
find ourselves.
We don’t expect heaven if we live corrupt and
immoral lives, if we are self-centered, destructive,
hostile and materialistic, if we do not repent.
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We, Catholics, should learn how to listen to the
Church’s official teachings (found in the
encyclicals, pastoral letters, and catechism).
They are supposed to interpret God’s will and
help us live our faith concretely, here and now, as
we are confronted with many questions, like
 how to be faithful to your family (No to free love,
neglect of parental obligations)
 how to treat our bodies as Temples of the Holy
Spirit (No to artificial contraceptives and
violation of human rights)
 how to treat creation (No to environmental
destruction, mining, logging, pollution, etc.)
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how to treat other people of different cultures
and beliefs (No to fundamentalism, ethnic
cleansing, militancy)
how to govern ourselves (No to graft and
corruption, injustices)
how to live moral and faithful lives (No to
licentiousness, pornography, lawlessness,
untruthfulness)
How to use social media (new media) (No to
malicious posting of mis/information)
how to be true catholics (expected to live
sacramental life and active in mission) (No to
civil marriage, zero prayer life)
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The eucharist is the sacrament of hope and joy for
those who repent and listen to God and his
representatives.
The gift of the eucharist is God’s way of reminding us,
repentant sinners, that there is such a thing as eternal
life, something to hope for.
When we receive the eucharist, we are showing our
belief that Jesus is the one who can bring us back to
God, no one else, nothing else.
In the eucharist, we experience God’s limitless love
now.
Our Context of Sin and Grace
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Materialism
Minds and hearts set only
on what is earthly (money,
power, prestige)
No fear of being caught and
punished
Exaggerated concern for
other life, forgetting to
respond to the needs of
today.
No sense of sin
No conscience
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Repentance
Being sorry for one’s
offenses
Confession
Sound theology (faith
relevant to life on earth)
Faith in God’s promises
Belief in God’s total
salvation.
Showing signs of
repentance (good works,
acceptable behavior)
Suggested Songs
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Hosea
From the Depths
Paano Namin Masasabi
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ICZUOf_jNo