Daily Catholic Lectio
Wed, 18 March 2026
Fourth Week of Lent, Wednesday
Isaiah 49:8–15. John 5:17–30
I will not Forget You
At the heart of today’s liturgy is a tender and powerful promise of God: “I will not forget you.” It is a word spoken not in comfort, but in exile; not in abundance, but in suffering. It is a word addressed to people who felt abandoned, forgotten, and lost.
1. A God who Remembers
The first reading comes from the second “Servant Song” of Isaiah. The identity of this Servant remains a mystery: is it the prophet, the people of Israel, or the Messiah to come? Yet the message is clear—the Servant is one who carries God’s mission in the midst of struggle.
The people of Israel were in Babylonian exile. They felt cut off from their land, their identity, and even from God. In their pain, a question arose in their hearts: Has God forgotten us?
Into this darkness, God speaks: “Can a mother forget her infant? Even if she could, I will never forget you.” This is not just poetry. It is a revelation of the heart of God. God’s memory is not like ours. When God remembers, He acts. When God remembers, He saves. When God remembers, life is restored. To be remembered by God is our greatest blessing.
2. A Journey through Difficult Paths
The reading also describes a journey—a return from exile. But the path is not easy. It passes through mountains, under the scorching sun, and through harsh winds. Yet God promises: I will lead you. I will protect you. I will make a way. This tells us something important. God does not always remove the difficult path. But He walks with us through it. In moments of emptiness, loneliness, and helplessness, God does not abandon us. He reveals His presence more deeply.
3. The Heart of the Son
In the Gospel, Jesus reveals the same truth in another way. He says: “I seek not my own will but the will of the One who sent me.” Here we see the inner strength of Jesus. His entire life is rooted in the Father’s will. Even when misunderstood, opposed, and eventually led to the cross, He remains faithful. Jesus is the true Servant. He is the one who lives fully for God’s mission. He is the one who shows us that obedience is not weakness, but love. And because the Father never forgets the Son, death itself cannot have the final word.
4. Our Question Today
Today, the Word of God gently turns to us and asks: Do we sometimes feel forgotten by God? In our struggles, do we doubt His presence? Are we seeking our own will, or the will of God?
To live according to God’s will is not always easy. It may lead us through uncertainty, misunderstanding, and sacrifice. But it is the only path that leads to life. If we truly follow God’s will, we begin to ask a deeper question: Are we doing what is pleasing to God?
5. A Word of Consolation
“My dear child, I will not forget you.” This is God’s word to each one of us today. When you feel alone—He remembers you. When you feel empty—He remembers you. When you feel unable to move forward—He remembers you. Even if the whole world forgets, God does not forget.
Conclusion
As we continue our Lenten journey, let us hold on to this promise. Let us trust in the God who remembers. Let us walk in His will. And let us become, like the Servant, instruments of His compassion in the world. For the God who remembers us also sends us—to remember others,
to accompany the forgotten, and to reveal His faithful love.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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