Lent 2025: Part Three and Four

I apologize for being late with my blog post! Last week, I didn't publish anything, so this week I'll combine Week Two (Part 3) and Week Three (Part 4). For Part 3, I will discuss my homily from the Third Sunday of Lent since I forgot to record it. In Part 4, I will provide a brief explanation of Laetare Sunday, which falls on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Lent 2025: Part Three

Third Sunday of Lent Homily

Do you know Billy Joel's song, "Only the Good Die Young?" While this song is often interpreted as anti-Catholic, it actually teaches something significant about our faith. In the Gospel of John, it says, "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25, RSVCE). This Bible verse means that prioritizing earthly life over God's will leads to spiritual loss, while willingly sacrificing worldly desires for God's purpose results in eternal life. So, if we interpret "...the Good" in Billy's song as people who prioritize God's life over earthly life, we can find hope that we are, "The Good" and will be in living forever in God's everlasting kingdom.

Speaking of "The Good," I think of a person named Valentina, which is strangely close to the patron saint of love, Saint Valentine. Valentina used love to bring joy and expressed her affection through simple actions. For example, if she were an old lady with a walker and saw that a young person needed to sit, she would let them take her seat, even if she might actually need it herself. She embodies the 2 P's, 2 G's, and 2 F's. While I don't think she takes advantage of these virtues, she uses them so well that it seems like she does. If you don't know what the 2 P's, 2 G's, and 2 F's are, I will explain them now.

The 2 P's, 2 G's, and 2 F's represent God's virtues. Let's start with the F's and work our way backward. The first F is Forgiving. This is something we learn from a young age; when a sibling accidentally punches us and apologizes, we are taught to say, "I accept your apology," which means "I forgive you." After we have forgiven, we should also Forget, which is the second F. Once we forgive, there is no need to remember the offense; it no longer matters because it is part of the past. 

These wonderful mothers who impart the knowledge of forgiveness are Gifts from God, which is the first G. God gives us incredible gifts, so the first G represents giving or gifts. But why does God give us these gifts? Because His grace for us is immense, just like His love. That leads us to our second G: Grace. To break this down so far: through God's grace, He gives us gifts that consist of Forgiving and Forgetting. 

Now, what are the P's? The first P is Peace. God embodies peace, which leads to grace, which in turn brings the gifts of forgiving and forgetting. Finally, how does this peace come about? Through our second P: the Persistence of the King. God refers to Himself as the King of the universe, which means that as King, He bestows peace, leading to grace, which produces gifts of forgiveness and forgetting.

I know this is a long homily, and I apologize if Mass seemed lengthy this past Sunday. However, this is information that you will carry with you throughout your life. You may forget, but when the time comes, you will remember these 2 P's, 2 G's, and 2 F's. We can only have these blessings through the love that God gives us, and we thank You, God, for all these gifts. I hope you know (and you do) that I love you too. 

Amen.

Lent 2025: Part Four

Last week, we discussed God's grace. Through this grace, we have the tremendous gift described in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God used His grace to give us Jesus, who rose from the dead on the third day—an event we celebrate on Easter.

This Sunday, some priests will wear rose vestments to signify that we are more than halfway to Easter, the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. While there isn't much more to elaborate on regarding this, I hope you find this information valuable.

God bless, and have a wonderful Laetare Sunday (the 4th Sunday of Lent). I look forward to seeing you there!