March 21, 2021 Homily

Post date: Mar 23, 2021 2:13:0 PM

March 21, 2021 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

Jesus says, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Many ask why did Jesus have to die? In his fight against evil, he had to

teach people to forgive, to love, to help the poor, to be pure, not to be

prejudiced—in brief, to put God’s will above their own wants and desires.

If Jesus tried to save his life and run away and hide,

his whole ministry would die, his apostles would go back to fishing or

whatever they were occupied with before he called them.

All the work he did, all his teaching would be forgotten.

So, he knew that in preaching the message of God’s love that the Father

had sent him to preach, he had to remain faithful to his work until the end.

Jesus knew that his work, his life would lead to his death

and he was willing to die for love of us.

He uses two images in today’s gospel to tell us his death

would bear much fruit and it would save all who would believe in him.

Last week, and again today, we hear him say,

“when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

This week, Jesus also says, “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.”

The story of a grain of wheat and perhaps our story too:

All during the dark, cold winter I lay in a barn-- warm, dry, and safe but

feeling rather unfulfilled. Then one spring day the farmer took me

and a sackful of others and scattered us on the freshly plowed soil.

Suddenly I found myself buried in the cold, dark, damp soil.

(I had gone from a barn to a tomb).

Time passed and I noticed to my horror that I was beginning to decay.

Then nature, God’s creation, came to my rescue.

The earth was thawing out, rainwater soaked into me and

my husk began to soften, then to swell.

Suddenly it burst open and out came a tiny shoot.

It’s happening, I cried. ‘I am not going to die after all.

I am going to be born.’

I shot up into a sturdy blade that kept growing. I was no longer

a single grain but a whole host of them clinging to the top of a tall stalk.

My purpose suddenly fulfilled. All the pain and uncertainty were worth it.

“Whoever sacrifices his life in this world

will preserve it for eternal life.” AMEN!