V Sunday of Lent:[2012]:Jere 31:31-34; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33

V Sunday of Lent:[2012]:Jere 31:31-34; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33

Introduction: Today’s readings focus on the upcoming death of Jesus, which Paul considers as a priestly sacrifice and John considers as the moment of Jesus’ "exaltation" and "glorification." They offer us a challenge.  Just as Jesus became the “Promised Messiah of Glory” and the “Conquering Son of Man” by offering his life for others, we, too, can only possess heaven by dying to self and by spending our lives in self-giving, sacrificial service.

Scripture Lessions: The first reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah explains how God   replaced the Old Covenant of Judgment with a New Covenant of Forgiveness of Sins. This new, or renewed, covenant prophesied by Jeremiah was fulfilled, at least in part, through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  In the second reading, St. Paul tells the Hebrews that it is by his suffering and death, in obedience to his Father’s will, that Jesus established the New Covenant. Using metaphors of the “sown wheat grain” and the “spent life” in today’s gospel, Jesus teaches the same lessons as St. Paul does. The gospel hints at Jesus’ inner struggle in accepting the cup of suffering to inaugurate the new and everlasting covenant. However, Jesus accepts the cross as his “hour,” meaning the stepping stone to his passion, death, resurrection and exaltation.

Story : There is a story about a little bird that was trying to fly to warmer climate in order to escape the winter cold. On the way the bird encountered a snow storm. It grew so cold that the bird fell to the ground in a farm. The bird was about to freeze to death when a cow passed by and dropped cow manure on him. The cow manure was warm on the bird and prevented the bird from freezing to death. Soon the bird felt so comfortable in the warm manure that he began to sing. The farm cat heard the bird singing in the manure, dug the little bird out of the manure and ate him. The moral of the story is: Not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy, and not everyone who digs you out of the manure is your friend.

Exegesis : Suffering can bring salvation to the sufferer as well as to others. Today's 2nd reading from Hebrews tells us that "although he was a Son, Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" (Hebrews 5:8-9). In other words, Jesus' suffering was beneficial both to him personally (he learned obedience) and to others (he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him). Suffering and privations, when accepted as Jesus did, can become one of the best things that can happen in the lives of believers.

Among the books of the New Testament it is Hebrews which best develops the doctrine of Jesus Christ as the eternal high priest who stands for humanity in our dealings with God. He gives two main reasons why Jesus and Jesus alone fulfils the conditions for this priesthood. 1)One is that it was God Himself who chose him for the office. "For no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honour. He has to be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was" (Hebrews 5:4). Jesus was specifically chosen for the office when at his baptism a voice was heard from heaven which said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

2)The second qualification that Jesus has for the priestly office is that he has experienced the bitter realities of the human condition, including suffering and death. Hebrews alludes to Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane where the man Jesus "offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission" (Hebrews 5:7). To understand what Hebrews says here regarding the reverent submission of Jesus and that he was heard by the Father, we need to look again at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus' prayer in the Garden was made up of two petitions. One of the petitions is conditional: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me;" the other is absolute and without conditions: "yet not what I want but what you want" (Matthew 26:39). The second petition overrides the first. One can, therefore, say that in Gethsemane Jesus made only one prayer, a prayer of total submission to the will of God. This is his one prayer that was heard: God's will was done in his suffering and death. Ultimately even his prayer to be saved from death was heard when God raised him from the dead to live and reign with Him in glory for ever.

Joke: A Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker are exploring the jungle and are captured by a fierce tribe.

The chief tells them, "The bad news is that we've caught you, we're going to kill you, and then use your skins to build a canoe. The good news is that you get to choose how you die."

The Frenchman says, "I take ze poison." The chief gives him some poison; the Frenchman says, "Vive la France!" and drinks it down.

The Englishman says, "A pistol for me, please." The chief gives him a pistol; the Brit points it at his head, says, "God save the Queen!" and blows his brains out.

The New Yorker says, "Gimme a fork." The chief is puzzled, but he shrugs and gives him a fork. The New Yorker takes the fork and jabs himself all over -- the stomach, the sides, the chest, everywhere. Blood gushes from every hole.

The chief screams, "What are you doing?"

The New Yorker looks at the chief and says, "So many holes for your canoe!"

Conclusion : Jesus suffers, dies and saves people, while this New Yorker, anyhow, dies and not ready to do any good for the people.  Only a life spent for others will be glorified here in this world and in heaven.  Today’s gospel teaches us that to receive new life and eternal life we need to die to ourselves through suffering and service.  Salt gives its taste by dissolving in water.  A candle gives light by having its wax melted and its wick consumed.  The oyster produces a priceless pearl by transforming a grain of sand in a long and painful process.  Loving parents sacrifice themselves so that their children can enjoy a better life than they themselves had.  As we step into Holy Week, may our prayer to God be "Your will be done in our lives," just as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane.

Introduction : V Sunday of Lent

Message: The grain of wheat must die to produce fruit.  Such dying must be cultivated by obedience and by our covenant with God, rooted in love and forgiveness.

Special events in this week:   26^th Monday : Annunciation of the Lord