30 April 2025
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Pius V, Pope, religious
John 3:16-21

Pope Francis introduced this passage in this way: This passage of the the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, is a true treatise on theology: here is everything. Kerygma, catechesis, theological reflection, the parenesis … there’s everything in this chapter. And every time we read it, we encounter more wealth, more explanations, more things that make us understand the revelation of God. It would be nice to read it many times, to get closer to the mystery of redemption.

Today, we reflect on two points in this passage that invite us into deeper reflection.

First, the love of God: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). This love is not abstract or sentimental—it is a love that gives, a love that suffers, a love that dies. The crucifix is not simply a symbol or decoration. It is the open book of God’s love, written in the wounds of Christ. There, in silence, we can learn everything: divine wisdom, mercy, and hope. The saints and the simple alike have looked upon the crucified Christ and found peace, because they recognised: this is how much God loves me. He did not send His Son to condemn, but to save. And He did so with a love so intense it looks like madness to the world.

Second, the call to the light: Jesus tells us the light has come—but many prefer darkness. Why? Because sin blinds. We can become so used to the shadows that we fear the light. We hide, not wanting to see our own hearts. Christ, however, calls us to step into the light—the light of truth, of grace, of conversion.
So today, we are invited to ask ourselves: Do I live in the light or in the shadows? Do I gaze upon the crucified Lord and let His love transform me? May we walk as children of the light, hearts open to the God who loved us to the very end.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025