LENT ’09: 5th Sunday – By Fr. Gordon, imc.

John 12:20-33
Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "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." The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Time has come brothers and sister in Christ to summarize these reflections we have been sharing during this lent period. Next Sunday will be the Palm Sunday introducing us to the Holy Week through Easter. A lot has to be discovered in the Lord, in our talents and in our Christian commitments as baptized children of God.

This Sunday, Jesus speaks of losing to win, giving in order to receive, dying so as to live. It is just too difficult to understand this from the logic of the world and the society in which we live. However, looking at Jesus (announce his imminent death), we find the final gesture of everyday life offered for a more humane world for all; a world that finds its salvation in a loving God.

Probably we begin to really know Jesus when we are attracted by his total dedication to God and his passion for a happier life for others. Let’s hear his call, however faintly it may be: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be". It all starts from a desire to 'serve' Jesus, to collaborate in His work, to live only for His project, to follow in his footsteps, to express in many simple ways and gestures how God loves us all. It is here then that we start to become his true followers. To be that means sharing his life and his destiny, "where I am, there also will my servant be". This is what it means to be a Christian: to be where Jesus was, take care of what he was dealing with; have the goals he had, be on the cross as he was, and finally one day to be at the right hand of the Father where he is.

For Personal reflection:

1. Are we really mediators for others to know Jesus through our life example (actions)?
2. Evaluate the goals you made at the beginning of Lent. Achievements? Something to improve in?

Wishing each one of you a happy end of Lent, an intensive Holy Week and a Happy Easter!