Walking with Christ through the Paschal Mystery

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Cycle B Readings: Jer 31:31-34/Heb 5:7-9/ Jn 12:20-33

RCIA Scrutiny Cycle A: Ez 37:12-14/Rom 8:8-11/Jn 11:1-45

The Church continues to reflect on readings from both Cycle B and Cycle A (for those Liturgies where Catechumens are called forth in preparation for the Great Vigil).  The reading from John’s Gospel, Chapter 11 is the raising of Lazarus—Christ’s power over death which prefigures His own triumphant victory.

I want to take a few minutes, however, to reflect on the Gospel from Cycle B (John 12:20-33). In this, we hear the story of Greeks who walk up to Philip and ask, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip tells Andrew and Andrew relays the request to Jesus. Jesus’ response and the ensuing events may seem a bit cryptic:

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

How many people do we know who are searching for peace, contentment, and happiness? The problem is, happiness is fleeting and peace and contentment come at a price, for we can only find true peace, contentment, and joy, through Christ. To know Christ, to be able to see Him, we must be willing to let go of all that holds us back from opening our heart and mind to Him.

While Christ is the grain of wheat that must die so we may have eternal life, we too are the grains which must crucify our will to become one with Him, so that others may know Him through us. His sacrifice is ours as we strive to be like Him.

The path to Heaven is the path of holiness and virtue. Humility is the first step. We cannot dictate the terms of our service to Christ. To know His glory, we must become servants of Him who saved us.

The voice from Heaven that proclaims Christ’s glory is the same voice who revealed the Son to us in His baptism (This is my Son, of whom I am well pleased (Mk 1:11))  and again in the Transfiguration (This is my Son, listen to Him (Mk 9:7)). God has revealed Christ in our midst and people are thirsting to know the Lord and seeking to encounter Him today just as the Greeks were in Jesus’ time. We may ask ourselves, however, how do we encounter the Living God?

Christ has been revealed to us through the Word and continues to be revealed to us through the Eucharist. The challenge for us, as disciples, then becomes how to give witness to Christ alive in our lives. How do we, as believers, show Jesus to those who desire to see His face?

We cannot do this on our own power—we must rely on the Holy Spirit to infuse us with the grace to be channels of God’s Divine Love.  This requires sacrifice, for we must be willing to die to self to live in Christ. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), reminds us of this as she contemplates how, through love, we overcome the ways of the world as we walk with Jesus towards Calvary:

Love is stronger than hatred. In the end there will be only the fullness of love... If we accept the whole Christ in faithful self-giving, by choosing and walking in the way of the imitation of Christ, then he will lead us through his Passion and Cross to the glory of the Resurrection. 

Let us continue to pray for the gift of humility as we strive walk with Him each day. Amen!