Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031812-fourth-sunday-of-lent.cfm
In the first reading, the people of the southern kingdom of Judah were taken captive by the Babylonians because of their persistent love for the darkness of sin and infidelity to God. Their captivity was sandwiched between two acts of God's mercy: first, in the form of the prophets he sent to them to warn them and lead them to repentance; and second, in their return to Judah from captivity through Cyrus, the Persian king who had conquered the Babylonians.
The Gospel shows that Christ is the mercy of God in that he is the prophet whose preaching and manner of life call us to repentance; and he is the new Cyrus in that, through his being lifted up on the cross, he frees, not just one nation, but the whole world from our spiritual captivity, which is our persistent love for the darkness of sin and infidelity to God. In order to receive the love God has for us, we have to believe in his only Son, which is the total commitment of ourselves to God through his Son.
Indeed, God has loved the world so very much through his Son. Therefore, let us cast off our spiritual captivity and live the truth.
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