April 5, 2025
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary 249
John 7:40-53:
“Would the Christ come from Galilee?”
Meditation
Galilee was the geographic place that symbolized acceptance of the Gospel. In keeping with their tradition, the people of Jesus's day had assumptions and expectations about how the saving power of God would become visible in the world. Those assumptions limited their ability to understand what God was promising them. That is why God has often been called a God of Surprises. God reveals to us that he is faithful and our expectations of him are too low.
No one expected that a place as isolated and unpretentious as the hamlet of La Salette in France would be the site from which God would call his people back to himself; neither did they expect that the Mother of God would speak the call. For that reason, some did not believe the message. Others noticed what had happened there by invoking the Visitor as Our Lady of La Salette. Over time, spiritual healings linked to La Salette have exceeded people's expectations.
Reflection Questions
- Are you afraid to expect too much from God?
- Are you reluctant to believe in a God of Surprises?