Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-16

1 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Ca'iaphas, 4 and took counsel together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people."

6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor." 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

14 Then one of theTwelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Today's Commentary:

The Passover: One of the great feasts of the Jewish calendar. It commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Ex 12) and is celebrated on the 15th of Nisan (or Abib), the first month of the OT liturgical year (March/April). With Weeks (Pentecost) and Booths (Tabernacles), it is one of three feasts that required Israelites to travel to Jerusalem (Ex 23:14; Lev 23:4-8; Deut 16:16). By NT times, the Passover was celebrated in conjunction with the feast of Unleavened Bread (26:17).

Thirty pieces of silver: The price of a slave (Ex 21:32). Judas' betrayal for "blood money" (27:6) stands in contrast to the lavish gesture of the woman (26:6-13). He places little value on Jesus and prefers instead personal gain.

Day 33

Lent Day 33 – The Shepherd’s Voice

by Fr. Robert Barron

A good shepherd who is really attentive to his sheep knows the distinctive voices of his charges. Just as a mother knows the voices of her children, so the shepherd can recognize the call of his sheep. And wonderfully, the sheep know the shepherd’s voice. When they hear it, they joyfully fall in line, for they know that the shepherd is the key to their flourishing.

Jesus Christ, as the Good Shepherd, says that he has come to gather the nations, and the nations, by implication, will recognize his voice when they hear it.

What is it that leads people to accept Jesus Christ? What is it that appeals to them when they read the Scripture or they approach the sacraments?

We could say that it is only custom or background or luck but I think that something much deeper is going on. There is a resonance when Christ’s voice is heard precisely because the whole world has been wired to hear it. The voice of Jesus is the voice of the gatherer. We lost sheep implicitly recognize it and respond.

Jesus is so much more than an inspiring moral example and much more than a saint whose dedication and love we admire. Jesus is someone who knows us personally. He is the one who can pick out our voices from the hubbub around us; who knows our names and distinctive needs and desires. We are known by him. When we pray in our distinctive way, we are heard.

And more to it, we hear his voice and recognize it as the key to our flourishing. We have been wired for the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. We instinctively know that he has the words of everlasting life. And just as the sheep long to be commanded, so we long to be ordered by the Word of God.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:March 22, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, you Son handed himself over to death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Classic Beans and Rice

ACTIVITIES

o Carling or Passion Sunday

PRAYERS

o Prayer for the Fifth Week of Lent

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Lent (2nd Plan)

o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Lent (1st Plan)

· Lent: March 22nd

· Fifth Sunday of Lent

Old Calendar: Passion Sunday

Now there were some Greeks among those who had come up to worship at the feast. They 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 (John 12:20-22).

Previously called "Passion Sunday", this Sunday marks the beginning of Passiontide, a deeper time of Lent. This is the third Sunday of the scrutinies for the preparation of adult converts, and the final Sunday of Lent before the beginning of Holy Week. The Liturgy of the Word of this day speaks of re-creation, resurrection, and new life.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Stational Church

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah 31:31-34. In today's extract, the prophet is foretelling the setting up of a New Covenant, to replace the Old Covenant made between God and his Chosen People on Mt. Sinai, a covenant which the Chosen People had not kept. The New Covenant would not be written on tablets of stone but on each individual's heart. It would be a covenant of love rather than one of obligation.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews 5:7-9. The purpose of this letter is to confirm the converts in the Christian faith which they have accepted.

The Gospel is from St. John 12:20-33. On the first Palm Sunday, as Christ entered Jerusalem not as a conquering king on a charger but "riding on an ass" to show that he was the humble servant of all men, he clearly foresaw the sufferings and torments that would be his in that city, before the week was out. Among those who waved palm branches to honor him and who sang aloud: "Hosanna to the son of David, Hosanna in the highest," there were perhaps some who, urged on by the leaders, would be shouting the following Friday, "away with him, crucify him," and "we have no king but Caesar." Such was the fickleness of human nature then. Unfortunately it has not changed much, if at all, in the two thousand years that have since elapsed. We are still fickle when it comes to choosing between Christ and the things of this world. Yet he knew all of this, and was still willing to carry the cross for us who are such unworthy mortals!

This very thought should put us all to shame, for what repayment does the very best of us make for the incredible love he has shown for us? We grumble and complain when some small cross is laid on our shoulders; we are full of laments if life is not running smoothly for us; we cannot understand why God should let certain things happen to us, his friends! But see for a moment what the lot of his beloved Son was on earth. Born and reared in extreme poverty; insulted and offended by those he wanted to teach; quickly forgotten by those he benefited by his miracles; hounded by his enemies and betrayed by one who had been his disciple for over two years and who had sat at table with him that same night; deserted in his moment of trial by those very ones who had sworn undying allegiance to him. Then followed the torments wished on him by his enemies—those he had come to save; the mock trial and illegal condemnation; the scourging at the pillar; the crowning with thorns; the carrying of the cross and finally the three hours of intense torture and agony while his body hung on the cross! The next time we are tempted to grumble and complain about our sad lot. Let us look thoughtfully at a crucifix for a few moments!

"He who loves his life loses it," this is a truth stated by Christ at the solemn moment when he was speaking of the purpose of his own painful death. He died so that we might live, not for sixty or even a hundred years on earth, but forever in heaven. We can, we know, lose the eternal life Christ won for us if we are too attached to our transitory, earthly life. If we love our own comforts, pleasures, temporal gains, our own worldly will, more than we love our unending, happy future, then we are loving our earthly lives wrongly, and we are gravely risking the loss of the future, true life.

If, on the other hand, we do our best to be faithful servants of Christ, we shall always judge all our actions with eternity in view. We can use the things of this life which God gives us, and still be close followers of Christ. The lawful possession of the goods of this world, the enjoyment of the licit pleasures of life, are allowed to the fervent Christian. If these possessions and pleasures are accepted with Christian gratitude, they will become stepping-stones that will help us across the river of life to our everlasting home beyond.

Each one of us should look fervently and devoutly on the crucifix today, and try to compare our willingness to suffer those crosses sent to us by God, with the crushing cross and passion our Savior Jesus Christ gladly accepted for us and not for his own sake. Do not let the conclusion you draw stun you into inactivity, but rather let it shock you into a new outlook on life; a new resolve to serve, follow and imitate our loving Christ more closely in future. So may it be for all of us.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

At Rome, the Station is in the basilica of St. Peter. The importance of this Sunday, which never yields to any feast no matter what its solemnity may be, requires that the place for the assembly of the faithful should be in one of the chief sanctuaries of the holy city.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 12:20-33

5th Sunday of Lent

Whoever serves me must follow me. (John 12:26)

You might wonder whether Jesus is giving the cold shoulder to these Greeks. They seem anxious to talk to him, but they can’t seem to get a word in. Upon hearing that they want to see him, Jesus gives an enigmatic response: “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” (John 12:24). What kind of an answer is that?

Actually, it’s the right answer! These Gentile converts to Judaism have come to worship at the Passover feast, but Jesus is saying that their Passover will not happen until after his resurrection. He is the “grain of wheat” who will be a sacrifice for sin. His death was necessary so that he could produce “much fruit” in the form of salvation for everyone. No one will be excluded, not even these Gentiles!

Today we can celebrate the fact that we too were once outsiders but are now a part of the “in crowd.” Most of the people reading these words are Gentiles, not a part of the chosen people with whom God first made his covenant. We “once were far off” but have been brought near to God “by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). We are his adopted children, and there is no better family to be part of.

A question to reflect on, then, is “How welcoming am I to those I may consider outsiders?” We all have some notion of who belongs in church and who doesn’t: that old man who never seems to smile. That couple whose kids can’t sit still at Mass. That young man who seems too “liberal” or that older woman who seems too “conservative.” They are all part of our family. They have all been grafted into Christ along with us. May we treasure each of them just as much as Jesus treasures us!

“Thank you, Lord, for welcoming me into your family. Teach me how to be just as welcoming. May I exclude no one from receiving my attention, consideration, and friendship.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15
Hebrews 5:7-9

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

Mass Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33

1. In the first reading, the Lord promises a new covenant that is much different than the old covenant. It will not be merely a set of external rules and commandments; it will now be written in our hearts. The promise is that we will not just know about him, but we will actually “know the Lord” in a personal and intimate way. Why is this now possible for us? What is the difference between a “knowing about” relationship with the Lord and a personal relationship of knowing him and experiencing his great love? How would you characterize your relationship with the Lord? How can you deepen this relationship?

2. The responsorial Psalm is King David's great prayer of repentance after he had committed serious sin. How does David’s reaction, reflected in Psalm 51, compare to your reaction when faced with sin in your life?

3. In the second reading, we read that Jesus "learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." What do these words mean to you and how do they apply to your own Christian walk? What is your reaction to suffering in your life? In what ways has it caused you to grow closer to Jesus and deepened your faith and dependence on him?

4. In the Gospel reading, Jesus continues to focus with increasing clarity on his coming passion and death, the "hour" when redemption will be accomplished by his obedience to his Father and the shedding of his blood. Jesus also says that: “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 . . . The Father will honor whoever serves me.” Can you give an example from your life when serving and following Jesus caused persecution or suffering, but yet you were able to see God work a mighty “good” and produce “much fruit” in your or someone else’s life? How were you able to maintain an inner peace, knowing you were following Jesus and his will for you?

5. In the Gospel reading, we also hear these words of Jesus: “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.” With Good Friday and Easter fast approaching, what additional steps can you take to fulfill these words of Jesus, and produce “much fruit” in the remaining days of Lent?

6. The meditation reminds us that “we too were once outsiders” to God’s salvation, but now, through Jesus death and resurrection, we are now “adopted children” and part of his family. The meditation also challenges us to reflect on this question: “How welcoming am I to those I may consider outsiders?” How would you answer this question? It then goes on to say that “We all have some notion of who belongs in church and who doesn’t.” In what ways do these words apply to you? What are some steps you can take to reach out to and welcome others who may think differently than you, but who need to hear that Jesus “treasures” them so much that he died on the Cross out of his great love for them?

7. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord for a grateful heart for what he did for you on the Cross, and a more welcoming heart for those who are also in need of his great mercy. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

A Christian Pilgrim

THE GRAIN OF WHEAT MUST DIE IN THE GROUND BEFORE IT CAN GROW AND PRODUCE MORE WHEAT

21 Mar

THE GRAIN OF WHEAT MUST DIE IN THE GROUND BEFORE IT CAN GROW AND PRODUCE MORE WHEAT

(A biblical refection on THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT [Year B], 22 March 2015)

Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalms: Psalm 51:3-4,12-15; Second Reading: Hebrews 5:7-9

The Scripture Text

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Phillip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for Mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” He said this to show by what death He was to die. (John 12:20-33 RSV)

We exhibit a very narrow view if we think, just because people don’t do things our way, they’re being done the wrong way. Hebrew and Chinese for example are written and read from right to left. That’s different but not wrong. When the former President Carter and his folks from Georgia came to the White House, they found it difficult to get accustomed to the “strange accent” of northern people, and vice versa. There are many innocent and humorous instances where we set ourselves up as the standard.

Jesus told us that His ways are not our ways. He did many things backwards – to our thinking – for He was the paradox man. A paradox is a contrary view, something that seems to be untrue but is really true in a different way. It would seem, for example, that the following statement would be true. “I can be very happy if I live only for myself.” Jesus says, “False.” If you live for yourself only, you will be unhappy and sorry. If you want to be happy, live for others and die to yourself. This is the lesson taught in today’s Gospel. The grain of wheat must die in the ground before it can grow and produce more wheat.

Jesus may have disillusioned the “intelligent” Greeks who came to talk with Him in this Gospel. They were often too sure of themselves, possessing reputations for great wisdom. He said that those who are foolish for God are really the wisest of people. God’s chosen people, the privileged Jews, also heard Jesus say that the real chosen people are those who have their faith in Him. The proud and power-conscious Romans jeeringly snickered at the paradox, “only when you’re weak are you strong.” The Lord appeared to contradict most things people stood for and believed in. He would be a poor public relations man, for He was not trying to please but lead.

We have to admit He’s not doing and saying things backwards; we are. If we think we’re doing something the right way but it’s not working and we feel discouraged, it would be well to turn around and look at Him. We may be going precisely in the wrong direction.

The standards of the world are very different than His. He is “The Way”. Some think He’s just in the way. The Christian will often be at odds with the world, as he tries to live the teachings of Jesus, for we appear often to have it all backwards. The Lord, however, not only pointed in the right direction but invited His followers with the bold pronouncement: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 RSV).

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit, enable us to overcome our fear of dying. Like a grain of wheat, enable us to die to ourselves, so that we can bear much fruit for You as we work to build Your Kingdom on earth. As You glorified Your Father by Your obedience to His will, may our willingness to obey Him also bring Him glory and honor. Amen.

Sunday Scripture Study

Fifth Sunday of Lent - Cycle B

March 22, 2015

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34

Psalm: 51:3-4, 12-15

Second Reading: Hebrews 5:7-9

Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33

The setting for this Sunday’s Gospel is Jerusalem on Palm Sunday during the days leading up to the Passover feast (John 12:1). It is right after Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city (verses 12-19) where he draws a raucous crowd, prompting the Pharisees to remark, somewhat prophetically, “The whole world is going after him!” (verse 19).

Some “Greeks” approach Philip and tell him that they want to see Jesus. “Greek” was a termed used to describe non-Jews—or Gentiles. These were either Gentile converts to Judaism, or “God fearers”—Gentiles that were attracted to the monotheism and moral code of the Jews, but were put off by either Jewish social restrictions or by having to be circumcised. Philip is a Greek name (meaning “lover of horses”), so perhaps they approached Phillip because he spoke Greek.

The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be “an ensign for nations and the outcasts of Israel” (Isaiah 11:10-12; CCC 542). The request of the Gentiles anticipates Jesus’ prophecy that “all men” will be drawn to him (John 12:32). As Gentiles visited him at his birth (Matthew 2:1-12), now they appear at the end of his ministry setting in motion the events leading up to his sacrifice, which will be for all men (John 1:29; 4:42; 1 John 2:2).

Like a grain of wheat that falls to the ground to bring new life (verses 24-25), Jesus must endure death to bring us to eternal life. This also holds true for his disciples—dying to self, and becoming channels for others (John 12:25; 2 Corinthians 4:11-12; Mark 8:34-38; Philippians 3:10-14; CCC 161).

QUESTIONS:

In the 1^st reading, what will be some of the differences between the “old covenant” Jeremiah prophesies, and the “new covenant”? Who will be included?

How does the 2^nd reading illuminate the life of Jesus? What did he give up to be our Savior?

In the Gospel, what brought Gentiles to Jerusalem during the time of Jewish feasts? What was so unique about their request that Philip would filter it first through Andrew?

Jesus said several times that “his hour had not yet come” (John 2:4; 7:6, 30). What regarding the Gentile’s request caused him to say that now the time has come (verse 23)?

In Jesus’ parable (verse 24), who is the grain of wheat?

What is Jesus calling his disciples to do in verses 25-26? What promise do they receive?

In verses 27-32, what is about to occur “now”? How does this affect Jesus?

Where is Jesus calling you to die so that you might live? How has this principal of the spiritual life manifested itself in your life? What was the fruit that resulted?

What do you tend to hold on to, rather than follow Jesus?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 607, 434, 550, 2851-2853, 542, 662, 786, 1428, 2795

How few there are, Lord, who wish to follow you, and yet there is not one who does not wish to reach you…All men therefore wish to enjoy you, but not to the extent of following your example; they will reign with you but not suffer with you. ~St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Reflections from Scott Hahn

The “Hour” Comes: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 03.19.15

Thorns

Readings:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15
Hebrews 5:7-9
John 12:20-33

Our readings today are filled with anticipation. The days are coming, Jeremiah prophesies in today’s First Reading. The hour has come, Jesus says in the Gospel. The new covenant that God promised to Jeremiah is made in the “hour” of Jesus - in His death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father’s right hand.

The prophets said this new covenant would return Israel’s exiled tribes from the ends of the world (see Jeremiah 31:1,3-4,7-8). Jesus too predicted His passion would gather the dispersed children of God (see John 11:52). But today He promises to draw to himself, not only Israelites, but all men and women.

The new covenant is more than a political or national restoration. As we sing in today’s Psalm, it is a universal spiritual restoration. In the “hour” of Jesus, sinners in every nation can return to the Father - to be washed of their guilt and given new hearts to love and serve Him.

In predicting He will be “lifted up,” Jesus isn’t describing only His coming crucifixion (see John 3:14-15). Isaiah used the same word to tell how the Messiah, after suffering for Israel’s sins, would be raised high and greatly exalted (see Isaiah 52:3). Elsewhere the term describes how kings are elevated above their subjects (see 1 Maccabees 8:13).

Troubled in His agony, Jesus didn’t pray to be saved. Instead, as we hear in today’s Epistle, He offered himself to the Father on the cross - as a living prayer and supplication. For this, God gave Him dominion over heaven and earth (see Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9).

Where He has gone we can follow - if we let Him lead us. To follow Jesus means hating our lives of sin and selfishness. It means trusting in the Father’s will, the law He has written in our hearts.

Jesus’ “hour” continues in the Eucharist, where we join our sacrifices to His, giving God our lives in reverence and obedience - confident He will raise us up to bear fruits of holiness.

5th Sunday of Lent: A Natural Law

The Word for Sunday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032215-fifth-sunday-lent.cfm

Jer 31: 31-34

Heb 5: 7-9

Jn 12: 20-33

Change is inevitable everywhere but we often resist change because we fear the unfamiliar, we dare not leave our comfort zone, or we see no reason to change. Things are fine the way they are so why redesign the wheel? Yet certain changes bring something far more significant and beneficial.

The other evening around 9 pm, I turned on the television and channel surfed for a bit when I came across what proved to be a fascinating program. It concerned the monarch butterfly. The show was listed as an hour long and at first blush I wondered what you could say about a butterfly in an hour what you could not cover in about ten minutes. However, these small, silent, fragile appearing creatures are a wonder of nature. Despite their delicate appearance, they prove to be tenacious. Only further proof of God’s mystery and beauty.

With amazement I learned these beautiful creatures migrate thousands of miles in the fall and spring. Hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies will follow an airborne path, like geese, from south to north and north to south as they fly over 2,000 miles! Geese yes but butterflies? This astonishing fact is only possible when those fat and somewhat clumsy worm-like creatures called a caterpillar "die" to their previous form and rise as the delicate and beautiful new creation. In this case, the death of one becomes the transformed new life of another. It’s no wonder that one image of the resurrection of Jesus is often a butterfly.

Our Gospel this Sunday prepares us for a new transformation in Christ; for death to bring life and despair to bring hope. In the Gospel passage, placed by John towards the end of Jesus’ ministry, he reminds us that his mission and his person must undergo a new change in order to bring about a greater good – Jesus’ glory in death and resurrection will be the next stage of his mission, his Church, to the greater world beyond Jerusalem. It is clear in John that Jesus is in control of this entire event. That he and his Father are one in mind and purpose. As we approach Holy Week and Easter, we are now given a reminder of the transformative power of Jesus’ death. Ultimately, what has been accomplished by it – a new Covenant in his blood. That covenant is spoken of centuries before Christ appears.

Our first reading is taken from the prophet Jeremiah who preached to the ancient Jews during a very turbulent time. The Babylonians are a direct threat to Jerusalem and in fact eventually conquered by destroying the holy city then carried off many to Babylon. What has God allowed to happen to his chosen people and why?

Jeremiah is now in Babylon where he prophesies to the Jews not only that God chastised them for their unfaithfulness to the covenant established earlier through idolatry and social injustice but that now at a future time God will establish a new covenant with his people. A new covenant, not an agreement, that will be an intimate sharing of love and life based in the law not written upon stones or in books but upon their own hearts: “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31: 31). This permanent bond will form a new covenant not of a static obedience to the law but of unconditional love made concrete through forgiveness and reconciliation. Our response to that outreach from God is the way in which the relationship is deepened and fulfilled.

If we place this reading aside the Gospel, we hear that Jesus himself speak of this new beginning: “Unless a grain or wheat falls to the ground and dies, a it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit... and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (Jn 12: 20 ff).

It is all about a new relationship between God and humanity that goes far beyond the ancient covenants of old. It is a new covenant that is living and personal not just for a few but for all humanity which is the new “chosen people” of God. And similar to the previous covenants sealed by blood and sacrifice, this new covenant will be sealed once for all through a more deeply personal sacrifice and shedding of blood.

If we recall the moment when Jesus gathered with his disciples in that upper room the night before he died when he took a cup of wine and a piece of unleavened matzo. His words to those gathered we hear in every Mass: “This is my Body, which will be given up for you . . . this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out . . .” Jesus himself will offer his body and blood as the ultimate and final sign of this new covenant offered by God through his unconditional love. How we then live out that love in our sacrificial service of love towards one another is the way in which that covenant is made clear and moves forward – the grain of wheat must die to produce much fruit.

In just two weeks we’ll hear stories of the risen Lord that the Gospel writers struggle to describe their experience as amazing, awestruck, trembling, fearful, joyful. Once the grain of wheat died, Jesus himself, great fruit was produced by the Lord of glory in his Church and the Spirit’s power that sent that Gospel message of the new Covenant of unconditional love to humanity. Gathered for the Eucharist as we do so often in the remembrance of that eternal seal which transformed our broken relationship with God and now offers us the proposition of a new way that is forever renewed through love, mercy, forgiveness.

By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God,

may we walk eagerly in that same charity

with which, out of love for the world,

your Son handed himself over to death.

(Roman Missal - Collect for Sunday)

Insight Scoop

Unless we become grains of wheat...

"A Field of Wheat" (1878) by Ivan Shishkin [WikiArt.org]

Unless we become grains of wheat... | A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for March 22, 2015, the Fifth Sunday of Lent | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Jer 31:31-34
• Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15
• Heb 5:7-9
• Jn 12:20-33

“If a tree falls in a forest,” goes the philosophical riddle, “and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

In today’s Gospel we hear something similar, yet not it is not a riddle or philosophical puzzle, but a clear response and a spiritual challenge. “Amen, amen, I say to you,” Jesus said, “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.”

Put as a question: if a grain of wheat does not fall to the ground and die, will it bear fruit? No, the Lord says, it will not. For although death is the enemy, it is also, paradoxically, the means to everlasting life. “By death,” the Byzantine Easter chorus announces, “he conquered death.” Such paradoxes appear contradictory and illogical, but they express a truth; it is a surprising and profound truth, as with the analogy used by Jesus.

But how is it that those who love their lives will lose them? What does it mean to say that whoever hates his life in this world will gain eternal life?

This strong language is quite similar to Jesus’ assertion that if “any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26). We know, of course, that Jesus did not condone hatred of family or strangers. Rather, by using a common form of Semitic rhetoric, he brought into bold relief the two possible options: either put Jesus first, where he belongs, or put him somewhere else.

It is never wrong to love our family, but it is wrong to put our families or ourselves before Jesus and the things of God. The man who loves his life in this world is a man who puts more sweat, tears, and time into this world than he does into the kingdom of God. If we live as though this passing, temporal world is our highest priority, it necessarily means that we have placed something that is good, because it is from God, above the greatest Good, which in turn pits that good thing against God.

Some might argue—as many critics of Christianity do—that such thinking forms people who are so heavenly-minded they are of no earthly good. In reality, the Christian who is oriented toward his final destination and who lives with the hope of heaven is of the greatest earthly good, for he rightly perceives the place and value of this world.

After all, no man has ever been more heavenly-minded than Jesus Christ, and no man has ever done more earthly good than Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, human history is marked with the tragic and bloody remains of those destroyed by men who were so earthly-minded that they were of no heavenly or earthly good.

St. Irenaeus, in his famous work, “Against Heresies,” observed that a kernel of wheat “falling into the earth and becoming decomposed rises and is multiplied by the Spirit of God, who contains all things. And then, through the wisdom of God, it serves for our use when, after receiving the Word of God, it becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, being nourished by it, and deposited in the earth and suffering decomposition there, shall rise at their appointed time.”

The God-fearing Greeks who came to Jerusalem to worship during the Passover said, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” This is the desire of those who know this world is not enough; they want to see and know the One who is Truth. And when the Eucharist is lifted up at Mass, we do see Jesus. We receive him completely. Having died with him in baptism, we will one day, by God’s grace, rise with Him at our appointed time.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the March 29, 2009, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

Winning Souls for Christ

MEXICO | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

March 22, 2015. Fifth Sunday of Lent

By Father Steven Reilly, LC

John 12:20-33

Some Greeks who had come up 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.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, my prayer time is the most important time of the day. I know that if I give myself with fervor, everything today will be blessed more deeply by your grace. Here I am Lord, confident and grateful for your paternal love for me.

Petition: Help me to be a true apostle.

1. “We Would Like to See Jesus” We are drawing near to the climax of our Lenten observance. Holy Week will soon be upon us. In the readings of this final week of Lent, we will accompany the Lord through the difficult and contentious experience of continuous controversy with the scribes and Pharisees. In today’s reading, we hear of some Greeks going to Philip to request an audience with Our Lord; we are reminded of our mission as Christ’s disciples. When people see and interact with us, our Catholic spirit must be, so to speak, a sneak preview of being with the Lord. They may be prompted to take a bigger step themselves if our lives truly reflect the goodness of Christ. They will want what we have — “We would like to see Jesus.” Hearing those words (or similar ones) from a relative, friend or coworker is one of the greatest joys of the committed Christian.

2. “Unless the Grain of Wheat Falls to the Ground…” If bringing souls to Christ is one of our greatest joys, we need to be prepared –– they don’t come cheaply. Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to tell the story of a troubled soul who came to him proclaiming her commitment to a life of disbelief and depravity. That was a challenge he could not take lying down. He begged the Lord to send him crosses and sacrifices that he could offer up for her salvation. That’s a type of prayer not to be made lightly! Archbishop Sheen soon found himself suffering an incredible string of setbacks, inconveniences and downright annoyances. But he stayed patient through it all and offered it up for that soul. Later he had the consolation of pronouncing over her the blessed words of sacramental absolution. What are we willing to undergo for the salvation of souls, especially those who have a special claim on our love and concern?

3. “I Will Draw Everyone to Myself.” The salvation of souls is a task that Christ calls us to, but we are not on our own. He longs for this infinitely more than we ourselves. “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He is speaking about the power that will radiate from the cross. It will not be a merely external power; he is working on the inside of souls. His continuous urgings, at times subtle and discreet, at others vigorous and demanding, are at work opening minds and hearts to his love. Let us recommit ourselves to be the servants of his undying, ever-present love!

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you long to draw all people to yourself. I hope and pray that I can be an effective ambassador of your love. Help me to show others how fulfilling is the life that is lived purely for you!

Resolution: I will put aside my reluctance and invite someone to Mass or another spiritual activity.

What’s so “New” about the New Covenant?

Dr. Mark Giszczak

shutterstock_232955776 March 22, 2015
Fifth Sunday of Lent
First Reading: Jer 31:31-34
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032215-fifth-sunday-lent.cfm

In all likelihood, you’ve heard the gospel message a few thousand times. God sent his Son, Jesus, to die for your sins and rise again so that “whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). If that message about the new covenant is 2,000 years old then how is it still new? Most other things that are 2,000 years old are in ruins, so how does this ancient good news maintain its freshness?

Setting the Stage

This Sunday’s first reading from Jeremiah prophesies a new covenant, which transforms us from within. The Old Covenant, the covenant with Moses and the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai, did transform people, but it did so by externally prescribing a difficult-to-obey law. The identity of the adherents of the Old Covenant came from reading, studying, and practicing that law in detail. Unfortunately, ancient Israel could not live up to the Law. They failed in many ways to keep the law, which God had entrusted to them. Whether their grumbling about the food in the Exodus period or the idolatry of the kings in later periods, the people did not live up to God’s expectations.

God’s Mastery

In response to the infidelities of his people, God punished them. In the wilderness, the disobedient generation died before they could enter the promised land. In later times, the Lord allowed Israel to be conquered by Assyria and Judah to be vanquished by Babylon. The prophecy says, “I had to show myself their master” (Jer 31:32 NAB). In Jeremiah’s day, the remnant of Jews survived as a refugee community in ancient Babylon. Jeremiah forecasts that God will bring them back to the Holy Land and establish a new covenant with them.

What’s so “New”?

But this new covenant will not be like the old one. Rather than having an external code to adhere to, the new covenant will have an internal law, what the Catechism calls the “interior law of charity” (CCC1965). Jeremiah says it best: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts” (Jer 31:33 RSV). The difference between old and new is the way God interacts with us. The old law was only able to show us how unrighteous we were because we could not live up to it, but under the new law of love, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us an enable us by grace to live out God’s calling.

Not only that, but Jeremiah says no one will even need to teach others how to know the Lord. This might be a bit of exaggeration, but even St. Paul says that once we become mature Christians, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). More than that, “the Spirit of truth” dwells within us (John 14:17) and will guide us “into all the truth” (John 16:13). Jeremiah also says that everyone in God’s people will “know the Lord,” without distinctions based on class, status, or age. Paul sees that same distinctionless knowledge of God under the new covenant: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28 RSV). Knowledge of God, deep, intimate relationship with him, is available to everyone.

New Covenant?

Jeremiah prophesies the New Covenant here (Jer 31:31). The New Testament writers see the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Luk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6; Heb 8:13, 9:15, 12:24). In fact, the word “Testament” is an older English translation of the Greek (diatheke) and Hebrew (berit) words for covenant. The covenant is made in the blood of Christ. He is the “mediator” of the new covenant (Heb 12:24), the apostles are its ministers (2 Cor 3:6), and through it, we are not only redeemed but promised an inheritance (Heb 9:15). Under the old covenant, one could look forward to the promise of a peaceful life in the Promised Land, but under the new covenant, we look forward to the eternal Sabbath rest of heaven.

Is It Still New?

When people walk into a Catholic parish for the first time and find a man wearing ancient-looking robes, Latin prayers, an electric coffee percolator from the ‘50’s in the parish hall next to the Bingo board, and crusty lemon bars at the parish potluck, they might wonder if the “new covenant” dropped dead a long time ago. Yet the ancient message of the gospel is still new for us today. Why? The Gospel is not about setting up a legal system, but about transforming hearts. It is about freeing people, one at a time, from the darkness and slavery of sin and releasing them into “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:21 NAB). Conversion to Christ and the Gift of the Holy Spirit are not ancient cultural relics from the Roman world, but are offered anew everyday by our eternal God, who dwells outside of time, to those of us dwelling inside of time who are willing to listen to him. As birth and death have never gone out of fashion, so the gospel message will constantly retain its power, its relevance and its newness.

So yes, the New Covenant is still new. It will always be “new” in that it offers us not a code of external prescriptions, but the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is new in that it is available to all, not restricted to any one group of people. And the new covenant is always new in that it can transform each of us when we are willing to open our hearts to its Mediator. He is always ready to offer us the freedom, the salvation, the transformation he bought with the price of his blood.

Scripture Speaks: A Desire to See Him

Gayle Somers

shutterstock_257830222

In our Gospel, some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to worship at Passover asked to see Jesus. When told about this, Jesus announced that His “hour” had come. Why?

Gospel (Read Jn 12:20-33)

St. John tells us that when Jesus was in Jerusalem for His final Passover festival, “some Greeks who had come to worship” desired to see Him. These were non-Jews who were strongly attracted to the God of Israel and so participated in the liturgical feasts at the Temple. They may have been actual converts (meaning they had been circumcised), but, more probably, they were “God-fearers,” Gentiles who tried to keep the Law of Moses and to observe the pious practices of the Jews. We see they approached Philip with their request. He had a Greek name and was from Galilee, so he probably spoke some Greek. These men may have heard stories about Jesus’ miraculous works, especially the raising of Lazarus, recorded in the previous chapter of the Gospel. When Philip and his brother, Andrew, tell Jesus about the Greeks’ request, He begins speaking about His “hour,” His glory, and His death. We might imagine Him to say these things if the Pharisees were looking for Him, because He knew they wanted to be rid of Him. But why did He talk this way when pious Gentiles wanted to see Him?

To understand the importance of this moment, we need to remember that the Jews’ original vocation from God was to be a “nation of priests.” They were “chosen” in order to proclaim, in word and deed, God’s truth to all the nations on earth. In fact, God’s promise to Abraham was for universal blessing through his descendants. When news that non-Jews were seeking Him reached Jesus, He recognized that in order for the Gentiles to know God in the way they desired, a way must be opened up for them. He would need to be “lifted up from the earth” so He could “draw everyone” to Himself. This, of course, meant the Cross.

Notice, however, that before Jesus speaks of His death, He refers to His glorification. Ultimately, it would be His glorification that would enable both Jews and Gentiles to see that He is the Son of God, who humbled Himself out of love to die for all sinners. We usually associate “glory” with power, yet here Jesus helps us see that it can actually begin under a very different guise. The glory of His “hour” would first appear as defeat and humiliation, but upon His Resurrection (“lifted up” out of death) and His Ascension (“lifted up” out of this earthly mode of existence), it would break through as the unbounded, limitless love and power of God on behalf of all sinners, of all times and places.

Jesus uses this moment to explain that His disciples must also follow this path to glory: “Whoever loves His life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” Those who want to be with Jesus will need to be as willing as He was to let go of everything to obey God, even when it means humiliation, suffering, and death to ourselves. Jesus acknowledges how difficult this is, even for Him: “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.” His singular purpose is to glorify God; a Voice from Heaven assures Him that His obedience will be rewarded.

When the Voice speaks, some thought it was thunder, but “others said, ‘An angel has spoken.’” St. John regularly reveals how differently people in Jesus’ day reacted to the same event (i.e. the healing of the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus from the dead). The outward reaction reveals the disposition of the hidden heart. Jesus tells the crowd that the Voice came for their sake. In a sense, the Father’s Voice declared the beginning of the battle that would end in the Son’s glory: “Now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” Jesus’ death and Resurrection would be judgment on Satan, who has terrorized mankind ever since the Garden of Eden. The victory Jesus would win on the Cross frees all men from the Enemy’s grip; it would draw everyone to Him.

The Cross continues to do that today. Looking at it, the whole world now can do what the Greeks sought at Passover: “see Jesus” there.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, when I must deny myself to do the Father’s will, please help me to have Your singular vision: “For the glory of God.”

First Reading (Read Jer 31:31-34)

Jeremiah, a prophet in the 6^th century B.C., announced news of a “new covenant” God would make with His people. Why was a new covenant necessary? There was no fault in the covenant God made with them “the day [He] took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt.” It was God’s people themselves who broke that covenant. The Law, written on tablets of stone, did not penetrate their hearts. They were unfaithful to their promises to Him. Something really new had to be done to change that. So, through Jeremiah, God says, “I will place My law within them and write it upon their hearts.” How could that happen?

As we know, when Jesus accomplished His work on the Cross and ascended victoriously to Heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to give believers new birth. In that new life, the Spirit works from the inside out. No more tablets of stone! The Spirit writes the law of love into us; now, in baptism, we are God’s people, “from the least to the greatest.”

Notice that God promises to “forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more.” What’s “new” about that? Hadn’t God done that countless times before in Israel’s long history? The difference in the “new covenant” is what Jesus described as His “hour” in our Gospel reading. The animal sacrifices and personal repentance of the Old Covenant all anticipated the One sacrifice that can actually pay man’s debt and clear his conscience (as animal sacrifices never could)—Jesus on the Cross. Justice (punishment for sin) and mercy (forgiveness) met there.

Finally, the “new” covenant was going to extend to all people, not just the Jews: “No longer will they have to teach their friends and relatives how to know the LORD.” What was once privileged knowledge of God, given only to the Jews, would be opened to everyone. That is exactly why, when the Greeks came seeking Jesus, He knew the “hour” of the new covenant had arrived.

Possible Response: Father, Your promise of a new covenant teaches me that You know all about my weakness, yet You never give up on me. Help me not to give up on You.

Psalm (Read Ps 51:3-4, 12-15)

The psalmist, after an experience of sin, longs for God’s mercy to “wipe out” his offense. He wants a thorough cleansing from his guilt. He knows that apart from God’s compassion he would be “cast out” from His presence. He desires a “willing spirit” to be able to live again in the “joy of [God’s] salvation.” When we ponder this psalm, we begin to understand why God promised a “new covenant” to His people. This kind of restoration was not possible in the old one. We should also recognize the great price Jesus paid for all these desires to be granted. His “hour” on the Cross enables us to pray, “Create a clean heart in me, O God” and to rejoice in the knowledge that He will.

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Heb 5:7-9)

We have been thinking about Jesus’ “hour” in our readings. In the epistle, we get to taste, if only briefly, what He experienced in that “hour.” It included “prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears.” Jesus knew His Father “was able to save Him from death.” Although “He was heard because of His reverence,” God allowed Jesus to “learn obedience through what He suffered.” This does not mean, of course, that Jesus had to tame a rebellious spirit in order to obey (the way we do). No, it means that He had to “learn” or “experience” the full cost, humanly speaking, of that obedience. He knew it in the sense of having lived through it. Then, when He “was made perfect”—or, when His obedience reached its fullness, even though it cost His life—He “became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.” His perfect obedience broke the shackles of death and the sin that causes it. He became our New Covenant in His “hour,” doing for all mankind what the Old Covenant could not.

No wonder the Greeks were looking for Him. Aren’t we all?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, when I make the sign of the Cross on myself, help me remember that it was through Your suffering that I was made clean and free. Nothing You ask of me will be harder than that.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 2

<< Sunday, March 22, 2015 >>

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hebrews 5:7-9
View Readings

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15
John 12:20-33
Similar Reflections

"THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT" (Mt 26:28)

"The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant." —Jeremiah 31:31

God, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16), wants to love us in a permanent, faithful relationship, which is similar to marriage, only better. As married couples make a covenant with each other by exchanging marriage vows, so the Lord made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and all His chosen people. The problem with these covenants was that God's people broke them all (Jer 31:32). Human beings seem incapable of keeping a covenant with God, incapable of loving God faithfully. Therefore, God promised to make a new covenant. He said: "I will place My law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jer 31:33). We will be able to keep this covenant because God will place it inside us and write it on our hearts. This means that God will give us a new nature, one capable of love and faithfulness.

Jesus gave us this new nature and new covenant by His death on the cross (see Mt 26:28). We receive our new nature and covenant by being born again of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5), by being baptized into Jesus and into His death and resurrection (Rm 6:3). By faith, we live according to our new nature and in the new covenant.

Two weeks from today, you will be asked to renew your baptismal promises. You will be asked to decide if you will live a life of covenant love. What will you decide?

Prayer: Father, may my life be like a grain of wheat which falls to the earth and dies to bear much fruit (Jn 12:24).

Promise: "Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when perfected, He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." —Heb 5:8-9

Praise: Praise and honor to the crucified and risen Covenant-Maker!

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