Fourth Sunday of Lent, B 
 

      Jesus, our Lord and Savior, proclaimed Himself “the Light of the world.”  He claimed that anyone who would follow Him would never walk in darkness.  St. John comments in today’s Gospel that this is the basis of God’s judgment of the world:  that the “light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” 

      I have often imagined the experience of the first followers of Jesus Christ.  How they would know that when His eyes looked into theirs, Christ knew their innermost thoughts, motives, desires, ambitions… everything.  Nothing in their souls was hidden from His sight.  It was useless to try to hide anything from Him.  How easy then to admit and confess everything to Him.  And here is the most amazing thing:  what freedom comes to sinners when we finally realize, truly recognize, that it’s all known to God – the most secret things of our hearts. 

      St. John Vianney, the Patron Saint of parish priests, we know from abundant testimony, could read the souls of those who came to him for confession.  There are stories of how on occasion St.John Vianney would not have time before Mass to hear all the confessions of all the people lined up outside his confessional.  So he would step out of the confessional and slowly walk down the line of penitents and point out the ones who really did need to make their confessions, those bound in the chains of mortal sin.  The others would have to come back later.  So thousands of people over the years would come to him for confession.  But why?  Wouldn’t it be rather frightening to speak with such a man, such a priest, who could tell one his sins before he even confessed them?  No, I don’t think so.  Rather, I think it would be tremendously liberating – kind of like the first disciples of Jesus staring into His eyes and knowing without a doubt that they could hide nothing from Him.  How easy, in a real sense, to tell Him what is so painful to the sinner – how easy since He already knows, and knows in detail, and looks back into the face of the sinner with mercy. 

      Again, St. John in today’s Gospel wrote that this is the verdict handed down by the Supreme Judge of the world:  that God has sent His divine light into the world, to shine in the darkness of our “hidden” sins, and reveal them; but people often prefer the darkness.  And why?  Because their works are evil.  They reject the light.  They deny the fact that God’s eye sees right through them.  They mistakenly think that the darkness is their refuge, keeping them “protected” from a knowledge of their sins. 

      The Gospel writers often mention the fact that Jesus knew the hearts of those around Him.  He knew their thoughts and real motivations.  Everything was in the light in His presence.  And a saint like John Vianney reminds us of that fact, the utter reality of God’s complete knowledge of us. 

      The traditional confessional is often a rather dark or dimly lighted place – not for the purpose of hiding sins, but for the sake of providing anonymity and peace of mind.  Thus, the penitent could with serenity allow God’s light to flood his heart.  Thus, the penitent could speak openly, freely, and even joyfully of his sins and of his desire for liberty from them.  Then, with that sacramental sign of Christ’s own words of forgiveness pronounced over him, he could leave the dim little room of the confessional and step out in the light of the church and recognize Christ’s presence in the Eucharist with nothing but joy and peace.

      For He is here.  And there is nothing hidden from Him.  There is for Christ no surprises in our “hidden” lives.  The surprise, rather, is for us:  that great surprise of just how merciful He is.  God loves us; that’s why He gave of Himself for our salvation.  That love will continually surprise us – and fulfill us – every time we turn to Him, abandoning the darkness, preferring the Light, knowing forgiveness and the joy of His mercy towards us.