5th Sunday of Lent (Fr. Vinner)
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The readings of the Holy Mass today remind us that we have finally reached the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Holy Week is not too far away. During these Lenten days, all Christians have been doing penance and fasting. We would consider it to be normal for a good Christian during this season to try to live as Christ asks us to live in today’s Gospel. The norm to follow is of the grain of wheat that is transformed and gives much fruit. It would be a pity if we allowed these days of Lent to pass without trying to live out a more spirit filled life. Yet, at the same time, we should remember that if the grain of wheat does not die first, it remains just a grain of wheat; it is not transformed into something new.
Who are the important people in our world? Who are the great people in our country? It depends on what you mean by ‘important.’ These are some of the people in our world who receive glory and renown and fame and publicity: – pop stars, sport stars, successful business people, company directors, billionaires. Are they the really important people in our world? There are other people who are not famous; they are people caring for sick relatives, people suffering crosses without grumbling, those giving encouragement to others, those who bring the love of God to others, those who witness to Jesus in small ways. Are they the really great people in our world? I think they are. Think of a pop song or a great goal scored during a championship or a successful business deal. It will not last into eternity. Think of an act of kindness to someone who is ill; that will last into eternity. Even if there is a truckload of flowers at a funeral, they will wither, they will not last. But if you say even just one Hail Mary for the deceased, even though you will never see it, that Hail Mary will last into eternity.
What about Jesus? At the wedding in Cana Jesus said his hour had not yet come but in today’s Gospel he says his hour has come, “now the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified”.(Jn 12”:23). What is this hour of glory for Jesus? It is his passion and death! That is the hour of glory for Jesus in John’s Gospel, his passion and death! Why? Because if a grain falls on the ground and dies it yields a rich harvest (John 12:24). The hour of glory for Jesus is his passion and death because through his passion and death he will draw all people to himself. Jesus’ glory is not what the world thinks glorious because the world does not see as God sees. Who would have thought that Jesus, son of the Father, the Messiah, would have to suffer? Yet that is precisely how he was “perfected” as the second reading reminds us today: Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation. (Heb 5:8-9)
Life messages: 1) New life and eternal life are made attainable for us only by the death of the self through suffering and service. Salt delivers its taste by dissolving in water; a candle gives light by burning its wick and melting its wax. The oyster produces a priceless pearl by a long and painful process. Loving parents sacrifice themselves so that their children can enjoy a better life than they themselves have had. Let us pray for this self-sacrificial spirit, especially during Lent.
2) Only a life spent for others will be glorified here in this world and in Heaven. We know that the world owes everything to people who have spent their time and talents for God and for their fellow human beings. Mother Teresa, for instance, gave up her comfortable teaching career and, with just 17 cents in her pocket, began her challenging life for the “poorest of the poor” in the crowded streets of Calcutta. Thus, she became, in the words of the Secretary General of the U.N., “the most powerful woman in the world.” We see similar cases in the history of great saints, scientists and benefactors of mankind in all walks of life.
3) It is better to burn out than rust out. This is one of the repeated pieces of advice Jesus gave us (Mark 8:35; Matthew 16:25; 10:39; Luke 9:24; 17:33). Bernard Shaw in his play, Joan of Arc, shows the saint as praying: “Lord I shall last a year; use me as you can.” Many charitable foundations and research institutions are financed by generous millionaires who understood this great principle of life (e.g. The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill Gates Foundation for AIDS Research), while so may others selfishly keep their God-given wealth and talents for themselves. Let us learn to live this Lenten period “burning out,” spending our time and talents for others around us by humble, selfless and self-giving service. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can” (John Wesley).
May God Bless us.
FR. S.Vinner HGN