5th SUNDAY OF LENT (B)

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.

Jn 12:20-33

Here we have the paradox of death giving birth to life. But it is true.

The death of Jesus gives birth to life, that is, his death leads to his resurrection. And for us, his death brings new life as children of God and the promise of eternal life in heaven. This new life and this promise of heaven become ours in Baptism. And when Baptism is performed by immersion, the symbolic passage from death to life becomes more obvious. Immersion symbolizes death and burial. Rising out of the water symbolizes new life as God’s children with the promise of eternal life in heaven.

The passage from death to life is not a one-time event. This is because we continue to sin after baptism. Hence, there is a need to continually put to death our sinful selves so that we may regain the new life we have received in Baptism. This process is called continued conversion.

There are two things we can do that can help us in this conversion process. The first is through the sacraments of confession and communion. These sacraments are means by which God comes to our aid. In confession God forgives us our sins and at the same time strengthens us against sin. In communion Jesus also makes us strong against temptation and sin. In fact, St. John Bosco has called communion the Bread that makes us strong.

The second thing that we can do is through the practice of self-discipline. We have a saying: “Nasa Diyos ang awa. Nasa tao ang gawa.” The equivalent English saying is: “God helps those who help themselves.” If we want to become strong enough to say “No” to temptation, then we must have the corresponding will power. Self-discipline develops will power. If muscle power is developed through exercise, then will power is developed through the exercise of self-discipline.

Rising when the alarm clock goes off in the morning is an exercise of self-discipline. Coming on time and not being late is an exercise of self-discipline. Cutting down or even giving up on cigarettes is an exercise of self-discipline.

Dying in order to give birth to life is not just the law of the spiritual life. It is also the law of our earthly life. If we want to enjoy better things, then we must have the courage to give up certain things.

You had to give up the security of being in the Philippines in order to enjoy a better life for yourselves and your children.

You have to give up the freedom of being single in order to experience the joy of the marriage and family life.

You have to give up the fear of what people will say in order to teach your relatives to become independent and in order to provide for your future when you can no longer work. I am not saying that you should not help your relatives. But if it happens that they think it is your duty to die working here so that they will not have to work anymore or so that they will have an easy life in the Philippines, then you have the give up the image of being a “good kuya” or a “good ate”.

Are you unhappy? Do you feel empty? Are you not satisfied with your life? Do you feel something is missing? Perhaps you need to ask yourself: “What do I need to give up in order to be happy, in order to feel fulfilled, in order to feel contented? What needs to die so that I may have life.”

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

Some Greeks who had come 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.

These Greeks were not necessarily from Greece. They were more likely Greek-speaking persons who either converted to Judaism or who were sympa-thetic to Judaism without actually taking up Jewish practices.

The Passover Feast recalls the liberation of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt. It is one of the three great feasts of Israel. The other two are the Feast of Pentecost which recalls the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai and the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles which recalls the protection God gave the Israelites during the Exodus).

Philip is a Greek name which means lover of horses. Andrew is also a Greek name and means either man or warrior. Did the Greeks go to Philip because he could speak Greek?

Bethsaida means “house of the hunt”. It is the birthplace of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Its exact location has not been identified.

To see Jesus meant to be talk to Jesus.

Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Here the word “hour” does not mean “chronos” but “chairos” . Chairos is God’s time, that is, the time when God intervenes in our history. In this particular passage God’s intervention is saving man through the glorification of Jesus.

In John’s gospel glorification means “passion, death, resurrection and ascension”. Ascension is not only Jesus going up to heaven but includes sitting at the right hand of the Father. The title “Lord” indicates this sitting at the right hand of the Father.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Hate is an Aramaic expression meaning “to love less”. This is the meaning of the sentence of Jesus in Lk 14:26 ("If any one comes to me without hating his father 7 and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.)

"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.

Jesus is truly human being. He experiences the same feelings that we have.

This calls to mind the agony at the Garden of Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-36).

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again."

The voice of the Father was heard at the Baptism of Jesus (Lk3: 21-22) and at the Transfiguration (Mt 17:5).

Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

John uses the word “world” in two ways.

First, the world refers to God’s creation. “He was in the world, and the world came to be through him….” Jn 1: 10a).

Second, the world refers to people as object of God’s love (Jn 3:16) or as those who refuse his love as “…but the world did not know him” (Jn 1:10b).