Fifth Sunday of Lent: B: March 21, 2021

 THE GRAIN OF WHEAT MUST DIE TO BEAR FRUIT

First Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Second Reading: Hebrews 5: 7-9

Gospel Reading: John 12: 20-33

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah tells the people of Israel that the Lord God will not forsake them. He assures them that the Lord God will make a new covenant with Israel. Knowledge of the Lord God and His unconditional forgiveness will be the hallmark of the new covenant. This new covenant will be written in their hearts and the Lord God will not remember their sins anymore. This is the wonderful assurance of the Lord for everyone of us. 

   *Second reading is from the book of Hebrews. The passion and the anguish which the Lord Jesus had to undergo are given in detail. He prayed with loud cries in moments of His sufferings especially during His passion. In this way He not only gave us an example but also because of us He became the source of eternal life.  By His sufferings Jesus did atonement for the disobedience of humankind. 

Gaining and losing life                                                                  Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. The imminent death of Jesus is predicted. Jesus knew that He had to suffer and die. He must face the loss of His freedom, the loss of His friends, the loss of support from the Father and finally the loss of His own life. He knew that His pain and losses cannot be avoided if  the Father's name is to be glorified.                                                                                                 Jesus' radical act of self giving stands at the center of our lives. Jesus compares Himself to a grain of wheat that dies in order to bear much fruit. The great loss of Jesus' life has become the very ground of our hope. Often we too are at a loss to explain our own losses - our sufferings and our pains. Dying to one's own self would mean sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others. This dying to self is a gradual process. It can be expressed in the following words:                                                           "Every act of love involves dying to selfishness. Every act kindness involves dying to meanness. Every act of courage involves dying to cowardice. Every act of forgiveness involves dying to bitterness." - F. MaCarthy. 

"Sunday Homilies with Fr. Joy Joseph SVD" is available on YouTube. Kindly subscribe. The link for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: B: is given below: Fifth Sunday of Lent: B