Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, March 18th, 2026

Delivered by Stella from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Isaiah 49: 8-15; Rs psalm 145: 8-9.13cd-14.17-18; John 5: 17-30.GOD ALWAYS REMEMBERS US The title for our meditation today is: God AlwaysRemembers Us. The book of Isaiah describes God as a God who never abandons Hispeople. The Lord declared that He would restore His people, rebuild the earth,and bring hope to those who felt left behind or forgotten. God not only createdthe world but also continues to care for and renew it. He made a covenant withman who believed in Him, a promise that life would be restored and the futurewould be filled with hope. God's covenant with humans reached its climax in thecoming of Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus came not only as a teacher orprophet, but as a tangible sign of God's love for mankind. Through his life andwork, Jesus taught God's truth to many people. He proclaims love, forgiveness,and salvation for all. However, the truth he brings is not always well receivedby everyone. In today's Gospel it is told that the Pharisees oftenopposed Jesus. They accused Him of breaking the Sabbath rules and even accusedHim of blasphemy for saying that He was one with God. To them, Jesus' teachingswere considered to interfere with the order they had held. This rejectioneventually led Jesus to great suffering. He was condemned to death and died onthe cross. But the cross is not asign that God has abandoned the beloved people of faith. It is precisely therethat God's love is most clearly expressed. Even though Jesus suffered and died,God never forgets His people. Jesus' resurrection is a sign that God's love isstronger than death. Jesus' promise remains: He will be with us until the endof time. Often, we also feel like the Israelites who said,"God has forsaken and forgotten me." But God answered very gently: amother may be able to forget her child, but God will never forget us. God'slove is far more faithful than anything in this world. There was a small child who got lost in a crowdedmarket. She cried because she felt alone and was afraid of being abandoned. Butactually, her mother kept looking for her in the crowd. When the mother finallyfound the child and huged her, the child realized that she has never reallybeen abandoned. The same is true in our lives. Sometimes we feel that God isfar away or indifferent, but in fact God is always looking for, guarding, andremembering us. In every circumstance, God remains faithful to His promise tobe with us. Letus pray. In the name of the Father ... O Almighty God, keep us away from allthe deceptions of the evil one that threatens and takes us away from the LordJesus Christ, our Savior. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit... In the name of the Father ...