Fourth Week of Lent

Dear SlumberBundle,

Today is the fourth week of Lent and the first time we've taken you to church.

Holy Family Church is considered the second oldest Catholic church in Chicago. It is not my favorite church but is just half a mile from our condo. Your mother doesn't like the seemingly endless sung Our Father and I have some problems with the homily.

The Scripture reading today was from the Gospel of John, the most mystical of the four gospels (considered to have been written last of the four). Jn 9: 1-41 tells the story of Jesus giving sight to the blind man by smearing mud on his eyes and sending him to the Pool of Siloam. This particular Gospel is notable because it opens with people speculating on why the man is blind -- what his parents might have done to contribute to his blindness.

As much as I thought the homily went on a bit, there was a story the priest told about a book that was out years ago called:  "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". He said the author went on a book tour and time after time he was introduced as the author of "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People" -- and that's what most of us want the answers to: not what to do next, but "Why" it happened. I pray that your mother and I can do a good job of helping you find ways to find the heaven here on Earth and not look for all the ways we can put ourselves -- and others -- down.

Of the three readings today though, my favorite was from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. Now St. Paul (and perhaps a few other people) wrote these letters AFTER the Gospel of John was written and although there are times when, like all later texts from all religions, it bears the mark of dogma at work, but here is what the letter says:

Eph. 5: 8-14
Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”