💖 HOMILY - MARCH 18 💖

First Reading - Isaiah 49:8-15

Gospel - John 5:17-30

There are moments in life when people feel forgotten. Difficulties, disappointments, or loneliness can make us wonder whether anyone truly notices our struggles. Sometimes people even ask silently in their hearts, “Has God forgotten me?” Today’s readings speak directly to this fear and remind us of the unwavering faithfulness of God.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks words of comfort to a people who are discouraged and feel abandoned during their time of exile. God promises a time of restoration. He will lead his people, guide them along safe paths, and satisfy their needs. Even the barren places will become sources of life and hope.

Yet the people still express their doubt: “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” God responds with one of the most tender images found in Scripture. He asks, “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” Even if such a thing were possible, God says, “I will never forget you.” This powerful comparison reveals the depth of God’s love. His care is even stronger and more faithful than the most natural human affection.

The Gospel continues to reveal this faithful love through the mission of Jesus. After healing the man on the Sabbath, Jesus faces criticism from the religious leaders. They accuse him of breaking the Sabbath law. But Jesus responds by revealing the deeper truth of his relationship with the Father: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”

Jesus explains that everything he does flows from his unity with the Father. The Son does nothing on his own but only what he sees the Father doing. The Father loves the Son and shares his work with him, including the power to give life and to judge with justice.

What Jesus reveals is extraordinary. God is not distant or inactive in the world. The Father continues his work of giving life, and the Son carries out that same mission. Through Jesus, God’s life and mercy reach humanity in a visible and personal way.

Jesus also speaks about the life that comes from hearing his word. Those who listen to him and believe in the one who sent him pass from death to life. Faith in Christ opens the door to a new kind of life that begins even now and continues into eternity.

Dear friends, God has not forgotten his people, and he has not forgotten us. His love is constant, his presence is active, and his work continues in the world through Jesus Christ.

When we face moments of doubt or discouragement, we are invited to remember the promise spoken through Isaiah: God never forgets his children. And through the words of Jesus, we are reminded that God is still at work, bringing life, hope, and renewal to those who trust in him.

If we listen to the voice of Christ and believe in the Father who sent him, we begin to experience that life even now — a life rooted in the faithful love of a God who never abandons his people.