Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
Not To Condemn But To Save
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
God sent his only Son into the world to save us. Salvation. Do we need salvation? We have become so self-sufficient and proud of our human achievements that we often think that salvation belongs to another world – not ours. But when in our sober moments, we sit down and reflect, we have to face deeper realities: which achievements? For what? Have they made us happier? Have we made the world a better place to live in? And then, we realize that we cannot do it alone. We need salvation – from ourselves, from our achievements, from our so-called progress. And then, we become grateful for Jesus, not merely a person-for-others, but God’s Son, who is with us and who can still get us out of the mess we are often making.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
you loved the world – that is us – so much
that you gave us your only Son
to save us from ourselves
and to give us eternal life.
Do not condemn us Lord,
do not leave us to ourselves
and to our little schemes,
but give us your Son now to stay with us
and to make love, justice and peace
ever new realities among us,
your people reborn in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Persecution
The High Priest and all his supporters, that is the party of the Sadducees, became very jealous of the apostles;
so they arrested them and threw them into the public jail.
But an angel of the Lord opened the prison door during the night, freed them, and told them:
“Go and stand in the temple court and tell the people the whole message of this life.”
So, they entered the temple at dawn and resumed their teaching. When the High Priest and his supporters arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, which is the full Council of Israel’s elders. They sent a message to the jail to bring the prisoners.
When the temple guards reached the jail, they did not find anyone inside; so they returned with the report:
“We found the prison securely locked and the guards posted outside the gate; but when we opened the gate, we found no one inside.”
Upon hearing these words, the captain of the temple guard and the high priests were confused, wondering where all of this would lead.
Just then, someone arrived with a report:
“Look, those men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple, teaching the people.”
Then the captain went with the guards and brought them back, but without using force for fear of being stoned by the people.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
The lowly will hear me and be glad.
R.The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. The one who does not believe is already condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
This is how judgment is made: the light has entered the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
For anyone who does wrong, hates the light and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That like God, the Church may love the world so as to make Jesus known to all and him to all peoples far and near, we pray:
– That those who cannot believe in God because life is very hard to them, may see God’s love reflected in good people, we pray:
– That we may not condemn anyone, but accept people the way God accepts us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
as your Son, Jesus Christ, is present here
and shares himself with us at his table,
may he also be present in our lives
and be the meaning of all we do.
May we learn from him
to do what we are incapable of when left to ourselves:
to forget injuries and to pardon enemies,
to be patient with those who do not understand,
to bring freedom to those who do not appreciate it.
Let Jesus work all this in us,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, you hear the cry of the poor,
you sent your Son into the world
not to condemn it but to save it.
Give us the strength not to condemn
but to build up,
not to judge, but to heal and help,
not to curse, but to bless.
And when our clumsy efforts fail us,
remind us that your Son stays with us
and that he can do better, even through us,
than we could ever dare to expect.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn it. With Jesus and through him, we are part of that plan. May the Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
John 3: 16-21
Will only the Christians be saved?
The Gospel passage, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” has been called “everybody’s text.” This passage highlights the fact that every person is the essence of the Gospel.
Do parents keep track of all the sacrifices they make for their children? True love doesn't keep count; it leads one to make sacrifices willingly and joyfully. A True lover gives their beloveds everything they have and the best they have to offer. God proved his love for us by giving us the best he had—his only Son, Jesus. Jesus sacrificed his life to make us live healthily.
God initiated humanity's salvation. God sent His Son because He loved the world and each of us He had created. The love of God is at the back of everything.
God's actions are not for His own sake, but for ours. They are not to satisfy His desire for power or to bring the universe to heel, but to satisfy His love. God is not like an absolute monarch who treats each individual as a subject to be reduced to obedient object. He is the Father who cannot be happy until His wandering children have come home.
The love of God is not limited to nations, cultures, or religions. God loved "the world" as a whole, not just a specific nation, good people, or those who loved Him. This vast love of God includes everyone, as St. Augustine stated: "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love."
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John 3:16-21
Call to the light
Pope Francis introduced this passage in this way: This passage of the the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, is a true treatise on theology: here is everything. Kerygma, catechesis, theological reflection, the parenesis ... there's everything in this chapter. And every time we read it, we encounter more wealth, more explanations, more things that make us understand the revelation of God. It would be nice to read it many times, to get closer to the mystery of redemption.
Today, we reflect on two points in this passage that invite us into deeper reflection.
First, the love of God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). This love is not abstract or sentimental—it is a love that gives, a love that suffers, a love that dies. The crucifix is not simply a symbol or decoration. It is the open book of God's love, written in the wounds of Christ. There, in silence, we can learn everything: divine wisdom, mercy, and hope. The saints and the simple alike have looked upon the crucified Christ and found peace, because they recognised: this is how much God loves me. He did not send His Son to condemn, but to save. And He did so with a love so intense it looks like madness to the world.
Second, the call to the light: Jesus tells us the light has come—but many prefer darkness. Why? Because sin blinds. We can become so used to the shadows that we fear the light. We hide, not wanting to see our own hearts. Christ, however, calls us to step into the light—the light of truth, of grace, of conversion.
So today, we are invited to ask ourselves: Do I live in the light or in the shadows? Do I gaze upon the crucified Lord and let His love transform me? May we walk as children of the light, hearts open to the God who loved us to the very end.