THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Fourth Sunday in Lent

15 March 2026

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Just as in today's Gospel reading (Saint John 6:1-15), we are approaching the Pasch. Jesus led the people away from these celebrations and up a mountain. We see in this an indication that the Old Law has been fulfilled, and that the people are now drawn to Jesus rather than to the Temple. The New Law is fulfilling and replacing the Old Law. The people followed Jesus away to the mountain without making any provision for food.

The people loved Jesus so much that they forgot or dismissed their own inclinations for food and comfort. God watched over them and cared for them in their time of need. We see that Jesus multiplied bread and fish in such quantities that there was more than enough, with ample leftovers. God will not be outdone in generosity. The more the people forgot themselves, the more Jesus concerned Himself with their welfare.

God has not changed. He is just as much concerned with our welfare today as He was with the people who forgot themselves and followed Him up a mountain. We need not fear anything when we truly love God. Our modern world appears to have forgotten this. Social media is ablaze with constant fear-mongering. The world is overheating or overcooling. To solve this dilemma, they now worry about "climate change." Fossil fuels are destroying everything. Plastics are polluting everything. Contagious diseases are always on the cusp of becoming an epidemic. Politically, the left is terrified of what the right is doing or will do, while the right is terrified of what the left is doing or will do.

Anxious and terrified people are becoming activists and demonstrators. Their fear naturally finds its outlet in violence. It seems that we are now a nation divided along every line possible. The calm reasoning of wiser people is silenced while the focus remains on the extremes. What seems to be missing across the board is faith or trust in God. The burden of fixing everything is not solely in humanity's hands. Protests do not solve problems but seem to create more. However, it is easier to protest than it is to come up with and implement solutions. Once the demonstrators and protestors realize the futility of their efforts, they continue escalating. They go from arguments to shouting and then assaulting their fellow men.

What seems to be missing and what is needed is a resurgence in true faith in the true God. We have a Father in Heaven Who loves us. He is all-knowing and all-powerful as well as all-just and all merciful. Those with true faith know that all things work for the good of those who love God: the sun and the rain fall upon everyone. The weather changes with the seasons, and the climate changes in its course. All this happens because God either directly wills it or passively allows it, as expressions of our human free will. It really does not matter to us why God Wills this or that; all that we should be concerned with is being grateful to God's divine providence for us. We should thank God for the pleasurable things we have received, and for the crosses and burdens we receive as well.

The crosses and burdens are just as much a gift from God as are the things that we find enjoyable or pleasurable. God knows what we need and when we need it. Sometimes we need a cross, and sometimes the cross needs to be heavier — but in every case God has seen fit to give it to us because it is just what we need. We have our cross because God loves us.

We should emulate the people in today's Gospel reading who followed Jesus without any selfish concerns or concern for what the rest of the world is doing. The end of the world is coming; of this we can be certain, but let us not forget that it has been coming since the beginning of time. It will not happen until God wills it. The climate may cool or heat up, but only if God wills it or allows it. In either case, it is just what we need, because God is still in charge, loves us, and wants only what is good for us.

This is not a call to laziness or indifference but is rather a call to greater faith and trust. God helps those who help themselves. We must still be concerned and labor for what is true, right, good, etc. But after doing what is ours to do, we should be at peace with calmness in our souls, trusting in Our Father in Heaven.

Ultimately, all that we do to preserve our lives here on earth will fail. We will all one day have to leave this world. This is the truth and reality of our current existence. But if we die in the grace and love of God, we leave this life to enter the eternal joys of Heaven. We cannot stop the approach of death, but we can approach death with peace, joy, confidence, and love in our hearts, minds, and souls.

As the world forgets God and seeks to deny Him in every way, it invariably leads to hopelessness and despair. This should not become our life, because we have God in Heaven looking over us and providing what we need, even though it may not be what we want. We may have plain bread and fish rather than fancy or expensive cuisine, but it is always what we need, even if it is not what we desire.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!