2/04/2006 - 5th SUNDAY OF LENT - Year B
First Reading Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 50/51
Second Reading Hebrews 5:7-9 Gospel John 12:20-33
Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day! It is Jesus who gives meaning to expressions
of faith because He is the Groom who celebrates the wedding feast to which He
invites the Apostles. In light of Him, fasting (Mk 2:20) takes on new meaning
and, it is through Him that the days have new value, because He is Lord of the
Sabbath (Mk 2:26). He is the new wine who uses new wineskins (Mk 2:22) in which
to store it. Sunday is the new wineskin which stores the joy and the love of
Christians for Jesus! We sanctify this day. It is a day separate from other
days. On this day we accomplish what God, Himself, accomplishes when He sanctifies
His Name (Ezek 36:23): we gather around Jesus, we purify the time and thoughts
from the longing to do what helps us reap wealth and nourishes selfish passions;
we do what brings the Holy Spirit within us, new Spirit, which transforms our
hearts of stone into hearts of flesh! He, who does not sanctify this day, disregards
the paternity of God, moves away from Him and is deprived of the most beautiful
joys, and ruins his existence. He who does not gather with the other sons of
God, he who does not purify his mind and body from selfish desires, he who does
nothing to receive the Holy Spirit (pray, celebrate, listen to the Word) does
not "sanctify" the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, will
submit to sin which is the master of death. Participating in the Eucharist and
in other prayers, helping the poor and the small, comforting and nurturing our
own family, and collaborating in building the community are all actions typical
of the Christian who sanctifies the holy days!
Jeremiah's prophesy is Good News, which is "Gospel"! God promises
a "new allegiance"; therefore, a new commitment from Him towards those
who are unfaithful! The first allegiance consisted of the fact that if the people
obeyed some precepts, God would protect them and give them whatever was needed
to have a serene life, in exchange. However, often, the people felt weighed
down by God's precepts and lived them only externally; while they nurtured desires
of freedom and independence, which they believed to acquire by disobedience.
The consequences of disobedience ruined relationships with family and communities,
and degraded the whole nation, so that they were incapable of defending themselves
from the enemies, who were always ready to invade their territory. God created
a new allegiance so that the people might survive and regain joy and peace.
His teachings are no longer coming from outside the heart of man, so that man
believes them to be an imposition; but from within! Each person will live God's
obedience and will have harmony within himself, the most beautiful and truest
moment of his personal fulfillment! This way, man will realize that he is loved
by God and is reconciled with Him from preceding situationa, and that, through
others, he man will have the joy of God's kingdom, as the Psalm says: "I
will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will return to You!"
God's happiness is exactly this: "All will know me, from the smallest to
the greatest!" This is God's joy, because He is fulfilled and so is His
children's joy when they come to meet Him; when they themselves begin to love
Him!
Jesus takes part in God's joy. When the pagans begin to seek Him out and get
to know Him, He understands that His earthly mission is about to end. When others
want to meet Him, He understands that the "new allegiance" is about
to be given by the Father of all humanity. The Greeks come closer to Jesus accompanied
by Philip and Andrew. Jesus understands that His time has come because the new
allegiance must be signed with His blood.
At this moment, He gives us a few words; His testament, almost. With the comparison
to a grain of wheat, He announces His death; a death which will allow Him to
bear much fruit! He knows that, for us, it is difficult to love Him, because
we see Him die being hated by all. He assures us of life everlasting, if we
hate our life on earth. He, also, assures us of the Father's honour, if we deny
ourselves of this world's honours. When we follow Jesus, this world will not
honour us; rather, the world will despise and reject us, but the Father will
honour us! The Lord suffers internally when He foresees His death, but He knows
that offering His life is glory to God, to the God who loves all men! And God
approves with a voice from heaven, a voice which is heard by the masses, but
rejected by them; interpreted only as thunder or as a mysterious voice directed
only to Him!
No, God approves Jesus for us, because we begin to move towards Him! When He
is on the Cross, we will look at Him, not with curiosity only. And He will be
our salvation! "Salvation for all who obey Him" says the letter to
the Hebrews. We will obey Him, then, by allowing Him to enter in our heart as
Word of the Father, written directly in our heart!