March 21, 2021
Homily for FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
MARCH 21, 2021
AMDG
(Please read: Hebrews 5:7-9)
“Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away.”
Last Sunday was “Laetare Sunday” – a day reminding us to rejoice because Easter is coming. The color on Laetare Sunday was a shade of rose.
But, today the Lenten purple returns. And, with the purple comes a new theme in the liturgical year. Beginning today, our focus is upon the cross of Christ. The days ahead will draw us into a meditation on the passion of the Lord.
And so, today is often referred to as “Passion Sunday.” On this day, it is recommended that the crucifixes should be covered until after the observance of Good Friday is complete.
Our entire focus is on the cross.
This change of the season of Lent from the focus on our sinfulness to the joy of Laetare Sunday to the emphasis on the passion of the Lord will intensify next weekend when we observe the beginning of the holiest week of the year: Holy Week, when everything that Jesus came to this earth to accomplish will be fulfilled.
There is something about the season of Lent that takes us beyond what little things we have given up as penances. There is more to this season than simply eating fish – or other meatless dishes - on Fridays.
Jesus is doing something to his people during this holy season. He is drawing his followers to himself. He is calling us to make a decision in our lives: do we love him? Do we follow him? Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves for him?
Or, is it good enough to give up chocolate for 40 days? Is that all that Lent is really about?
If we look at the Scripture readings today, we can see very clearly what Lent is truly about.
St. John’s Gospel presents a story for us to consider. In this story, we are told that some Greeks found one of the apostles – Philip, who spoke Greek as they did – and asked him to introduce them to Jesus.
The Greeks make the famous statement: “sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
Now, this is a statement that each of us should consider. If you could do anything at all, if you could rub the genie’s bottle and make just one wish, what would that be?
Surely it would be “to see Jesus.”
To see Jesus is to meet Jesus. To see Jesus is to hear him preach. To see Jesus is to receive his healing touch.
To see Jesus is more than just looking at him off in the distance. To see Jesus is to get to know him.
If I could make only one wish, it would be to see Jesus. In fact, every night before I go to bed, I pray for that one gift: to be found worthy to go to heaven. And, if I get to go to heaven at the end of this life, in heaven I will, indeed, see Jesus!
There will be many other incredible and wonderful things happening in heaven which I could not even begin to imagine. But, the one thing that is beyond everything else is to see Jesus – to have what we call the “beatific vision” that never ends.
In St. John’s Gospel, the Greeks long to see Jesus. But, they did not approach Jesus. Instead, they went to Philip. And then, Philip went to Andrew. And then Philip and Andrew both went to Jesus with the request of the Greeks.
But, what the gospel story does not tell us is whether Jesus ever met the Greeks or not.
Instead, as soon as Jesus is told that the Greeks wanted to meet him, it is as if this one moment was – in a sense - the key event in the life of Christ.
At this very moment, as Jesus was being sought by foreigners – by those who were not from the holy land – he knew that now his hour had come.
And so Jesus responds, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Then Jesus expresses one of his teachings that we can remember so easily, about how a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and DIE if it is to produce fruit.
Now Jesus sees that his life must lead him to his death; and if he wants to bring others to eternal life, first he must die like a grain of wheat.
The Greeks wanted to see Jesus. Well, in a sense, they did. But what they saw was not a great preacher or healer or teacher. Instead, they saw the Son of God beginning his journey toward the cross. They saw Jesus embrace the cross as his divine destiny for the salvation of souls.
They saw Jesus as he truly is, not as they might have thought him to be.
Jesus teaches two of his most memorable statements at that very moment. He says that “whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.”
Then Jesus says that “whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”
Now we know who Jesus is. And…now we know what is expected of us if we want to have eternal life, and to serve Jesus.
Now we ACTUALLY know what Lent is really about. It is much deeper than giving up chewing gum or candy. Lent is really about serving Jesus by following Jesus. Lent is about dying – even hating life in this world so that we might live forever.
Finally, Jesus teaches us in today’s gospel passage that “when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
At last we now understand what happened to the Greeks in today’s gospel story. Jesus did NOT meet them that day. He did not speak with them.
But, on a Friday afternoon, Jesus would draw the Greeks to himself. In fact, he would draw EVERYONE to himself. Jesus would draw all of humanity to himself as he hung upon the cross.
In today’s first reading, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the mystery of the cross long before the coming of Christ had ever happened.
Jeremiah says, “no longer will they have a need to teach their friends and relatives how to know the Lord. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”
In St. John’s gospel, the Greeks went to the man that they could speak to – St. Philip – and they told him that they wanted to see Jesus. The Greeks needed this friend, this relative – if you will - to teach them who Jesus is.
But, as Jesus reveals his coming death, he points out that on the cross, everyone will know him. And, on the cross, Jesus would forgive all sins and would remember their sins no more.
The cross of Christ fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah.
And the author of the letter to the Hebrews clarifies this teaching by giving us what seems to be a hymn or a poem about the saving death of Christ.
The letter to the Hebrews writes, “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
No matter who we are; whether we are Greek or Roman or Dutch or German or – as most of us are – a mixed bag of all sorts of nationalities, we can all embrace the cross of Christ. We can all draw from the “source of eternal salvation.”
And we can all be drawn BY Christ who stretched out his arms on the cross to grasp with love every human being who will ever to live on this earth.
PRAY EVERY DAY!
Please note that, beginning next Sunday, the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation will end. As we return to Mass once again, many things will be returning to our normal practice, but not all. As time goes on, I will let you know what is changing. We rejoice that, finally, we are able to gather at Mass with no ropes separating the pews and we can also use the missalettes in the pews!
Just a reminder that, as Catholics we have always taught that if you are sick or if you are taking care of a sick person, you are not obligated to attend Mass in person.