Isaiah 65 : 17-21 / John 4 : 43-54 (2017)
This period of Lent is especially for the Elects of the Church to prepare for the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
They are prepared to go through this final preparation with fasting, prayer and alms-giving over the 40-day period.
They are prepared to go through this because they have a faith-story to tell.
It is essentially a deep experience of God and His love for them that drives them to look forward for their baptism.
In short, these Elects have experienced what God did for them in their journey of life and journey of faith.
It is not a question of what God might do for them. Rather it is about what God will do for them.
Even we, who are already Catholics, can learn a lot from these Elects, just as we can learn from the court official in today's gospel.
The court official chose to believe in Jesus and that He will cure his son.
Today's gospel presents us with a challenge to renew and deepen our faith in Jesus and in what He has promised us.
Jesus does not tell us "Maybe". Jesus tells us that "it will be".
Let us believe in Jesus, so that as the 1st reading puts it, we will be renewed in "Joy" and "Gladness".