Fifth Sunday of Lent: B: March 17, 2024

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: 20-23

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

   *Second reading is from the book of Hebrews. A detailed account of the passion and the anguish which Jesus had to undergo is given. He prays with loud cries in moments of His painful sufferings especially during His passion. In this way, He not only gives us an example but also because of us, Jesus becomes the source of eternal life. By His sufferings, Jesus atones 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 knows that He has to suffer and die. He must face the loss of His freedom, the loss of His friends, the loss of support from the heavenly Father and finally the loss of His own life. He knows 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, pains and rejections.  Dying to one's own self would mean sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others. 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 of kindness involves dying to meanness. Every act of courage involves dying to cowardice. Every act of forgiveness involves dying to bitterness." -F. MaCarthy

(Please note: "Sunday Homilies with Fr. Joy Joseph svd"  is available on YouTube. The link is : Fifth Sunday of Lent: B)