Wednesday April 15, 2026

John 3:16-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

Did you watch the splashdown of Artemis II? That spaceship took our Astronauts further than we have ever gone and they sent back beautiful pictures of our home earth. To think that earth is just a tiny part of creation, a dot in our galaxy always amazes me. The Astronauts were ready to come home, home to this beautiful creation.

Many years ago I attended a retreat in Kafue, Zambia that was given by a Jesuit priest. I was very “holy” those days. By that I mean I thought the more I “hated” my embodiment the closer I would get to God. I read of saints would give themselves a whipping—flagellation so they would get closer to God. Anyway this Jesuit priest shocked me when he said “God loves you as you are - don’t change.” I thought he had lost his mind. Of course God wants me to change so he can love me even more. Thank goodness for growth and thank God for that Jesuit priest. It took a number of years and psychological exercises for me to see the beauty of this creation that I am.

Jesus says to Nicodemus, God so loved the world. God sees the beauty of creation, the beauty of your finger prints and your DNA and He loves it. Today I invite you to bathe in the mystery of who you are. For you, God created this beautiful world. St Paul says, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So go about your day knowing that you are a great work of art by God Himself.

Fr. Chibundi