'I thought it would be better if I died instead of many people.' Sunday Reflections, 4th Sunday of Lent, Year B

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Entombment
Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

Nicodemus is supporting the body of Jesus in the painting.


Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland)

https://www.universalis.com/20240310/mass.htm

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel John 3:14-21 (English Standard Version Anglicised, India)

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”


Léachtaí i nGaeilge


Nicodemus with the Body of Christ
Stefano Maderno [Web Gallery of Art]

The Pharisees generally have a bad name and the adjective 'pharisaical' is defined in Merriam-Webster as marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness. Those words could certainly describe most of the Pharisees we meet in the gospels. But they do not apply to Nicodemus. He was patently a good man who said to Jesus when he met him at night, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him (John 3:2). He was also with Jesus at the end helping to prepare for the burial. Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight (John 19:39).

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