Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 18, 2018 - 5th Sunday of Lent - B
[Jer 31:31-34; Heb 5:7-9; John 12:20-33]"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. " [John]
The fifth week of Lent almost catches us by surprise. Is Lent really almost over? The scriptures become more pointed in showing us the purpose of Lent: preparation for the events of Holy Week. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday! The gospel scripture for today is taken from the twelfth chapter of the Gospel According to John, which is the last chapter before the passion account. After an active and controversial ministry Jesus moves resolutely toward his ultimate fate in Jerusalem. That fate is referred to as his "hour." The Greeks had two words for time. chronos and kairos. The first is the time we speak of in hours and minutes and seconds. The second meaning refers to the way we speak of "the time of life or the moment of destiny." In one of the rare parables in this gospel, Jesus speaks of the grain of wheat which must "die" in order to bear fruit. Those of us who appreciate gardening know that the plant only grows if the seed is planted and disappears. In the Gospel According to John, Jesus does not beg for deliverance but states clearly that he embraces his destiny - his HOUR.
In today's gospel scripture, Jesus speaks those words to a group of "Greeks" who come to see him. They would not have been Jews by birth, but attracted to Judaism. The non-Jewish world is brought into the drama of Jesus' hour. In preparing for Holy Week, the desire of these Greeks could be shared with others. On Holy Saturday, many people will enter the church. They have been going through the RCIA program. They have come to us with their request, "We would like to see Jesus." If we are following Jesus in his "hour", these new Catholics will have their answer. AMEN