MEANING IN DYING
In life, someone argues, there is meaning in dying in loving services for others. True life’s meaning is found when we live for others. This is because there is an absurdity that comes with life. When this sense of absurdness engulfs us with a sense of uncertainty and insecurity life becomes meaningless. In a moment like this, we can only find fulfilment and a sense of meaningfulness in the service of others through God.
DYING TO SELF IS LENT
All our Lenten observances point to one single and simple fact: the willingness to die to self. This Lenten season is all about taking an introspective journey to fix or mend our brokenness in life through sins, failures, and weaknesses. Hence, Lent revolves around prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penance. This entails dying to oneself to ascertain spiritual growth and Christian maturity.
This Christian growth and maturity lead to a true spirituality which is a concrete religious encounter with God. A transformative experience that moves us far away from all sorts of external religiosities, practices, rules, regulations, or rituals. A godliness search or journey begins with religious tenets but must move on beyond or from the external consciousness of things, persons, or places to a divine consciousness that transcends linear-spatial realities.
OUR THEME
With the Most Holy Week of Christian faith around the corner, the readings of this Sunday point to passion, death, and resurrection. A mystery meant to strengthen our resolution to be willing to die like Christ and experience also the transformational resurrection from the death of sins and self.
The readings make us see the climax of Jesus’ public ministry as leading to suffering and death. One that will give glory to God. As such, they invite us to be willing to undergo the same measure that leads to an abundance of life in Christ Jesus.
These practices of Lenten observances through intensification of prayer, voluntary penance of fasting, and almsgiving are God´s law of love written eternally in our hearts. The prophetic call to interior renewal.
The conclusion is that Lent and the Lenten observances are a form of dying to self to come to the glorious resurrection of Easter. This is the mystery we celebrate, the mystery of Christ’s passion and death that leads to his resurrection.
FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 31:31-34
The prophet Jeremiah through his prophecy makes a drastic shift from the physical covenant, written laws on scroll to a transformational spirit of laws and the covenant in our hearts and minds. Therefore, the Lenten call for repentance (metanoia: a radical change of mind and heart), reconciliation and renewal are all inner or interior transformation.
For the prophet, a new covenant or law of God will be written on the human heart. Thanks to Jesus´ passion, death, and resurrection the new and eternal covenant is established in us and with us spiritually.
The Prophet Jeremiah 31:31-34 shows us that despite the difficult relationship and unfaithful history of his people, God is always willing to seek them out or willing to start a New Covenant with them. “All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”
The psalmist in Psalm 51 invites us to a renewal of our lives after acknowledging our sins with a petition for God´s grace. Hence, we declare: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me out from your presence, and do not take from me your Holy Spirit.
SECOND READING: HEBREWS 5:7-10
The author of the Book of Hebrews situated Christ´s passion and death, and eventually his resurrection in the context of the sacrifice made by the High Priest for the forgiveness of sins and salvation of all. This implies that Jesus Christ is the eternal human High Priest of God like Melchizedek.
To count worthily and redeeming the sacrifice of the cross to the death of Christ. That is his sufferings and death must not be frictional arts but a real bloodily sacrifice of will and voluntary to suffer pain, agony, and dying to self.
Rightly, the author emphasizes how this sacrifice was made through the excruciating pain of will, emotions, and body. Thus, “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.”
That is to say that Jesus’ prayers and entreaties, his tears and his cry, were not just mere shedding of emotional tears. The word he uses for the cry “krauge”, in Greek is very significant. It is a cry that a man does not choose to utter but is wrung from him in the stress of some tremendous tension or searing pain.
The Letter to the Hebrews 5:7-9 speaks so clearly of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 12:20-30
The context of the passage of this 5th Sunday gospel text by the Evangelist John is in the Passover feast of the Jews. A pilgrimage celebration that attracts Jews as well as non-Jews who love and seek to know the God of Israel to Jerusalem.
Hence, some Greek adherents of Judaism came along to the feast and they sought to have an audience with Jesus Christ. Probably, they have not only heard about him, but they have also seen and experienced him. And like many Jews in the time of the Passover have come to believe in him.
According to biblical experts, it was not by coincidence the Greeks first went to Philip and Andrew to get to Jesus. There are historical pieces of evidence:
1. Galilee the country home of Jesus’ disciples and apostles was heavily influenced by the Hellenistic culture of 323 BC to 30 BC before the Roman domination of the region.
2. The phrase “Galilee of the Gentiles”, is a clear indication of external influences. Historically, Galilee is a Jewish territory in the northern part of Israel and has a large Jewish population. It is considered to have a large presence of the gentile population as well.
3. The rift of conflict between the Judeans of southern Israel who were considered to be the pure and authentic Jews and Galileans of the north who were seen as “impure or adulterated” Jews is another evident.
4. It is also noted that Philip; “from the Greek name “Philippos” (from “philein” ‘to love’ + “hippos” ‘horse’) or Andrew from ancient Greek “Andreas” or “Andros”, literally means “man” (as opposed to “woman”). Thus meaning “manly” and, as consequence, “brave”, “strong”, “courageous”, and “warrior”. These were Greek names bore by Jews who were Jesus’ disciple (Philip) and an apostle (Andrew the brother of Simon Peter).
5. Biblical scholars believe the Greeks approach them with a sense of ease and confidence because of the Greek names. Hoping they would lead them to Christ.
6. When their interest was made known to Jesus. This is fulfilled by a prophecy or belief that Israel´s salvation is near. That is, for the Jews when the Greeks or Gentiles seek the Messiah or God of Israel the hour has come for Israel´s redemption.
Jesus’ declaration: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Simply points to his passion, death, and the salvation or redemption of the world including all people, races, nations, cultures, and sexes.
THE IMAGERY OF DEATH OR DYING TO SELF
Therefore, he affirms solidly teaching his apostles and disciples through imagery concept of dying to self for a cause to save many. Such as: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. Again, “those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
For Jesus, the essence of life lies in the sacrifice of life for the greater or the greatest cause. That is, dying to self for plentiful or abundance of life or salvation to all. This is Jesus’ realization and the available option to save the world.
The mystery of dying to self is the mystery of growing into transformational or superabundance. This is not only a spiritual concept to Christian growth, development, and maturity. It is an applicable principle to life in general. There will be never successes, increases, or multiplications to life without the crucible of suffering, pain, and dying.
OUR DEATH
¨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.¨ John 12:20-33. This could be understood as:
1. One focus of lent is to reflect on our death and to see our way through it. We all must die, as much as we do not like the fact. We try to hide, dodge it, or deny it. Yet, we cannot escape it. Dying is profitable not a loss.
2. The Lenten experience is dying to all forms of sins, evil, and inclinations to rise with Christ at Paschal. This is the nucleus of Jesus’ passion and death that led to a profitable salvation with his resurrection which is victory of sin, death, evil, and the devil for us.
CHRIST PASSION AND DEATH: A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION
In other words, the sacrifice of suffering, dying, and rising was a fundamental decision for Jesus. One, he willingly, gladly, and graciously accepted for our salvation.
This becomes a yardstick too for all who will or wish to follow him to eternal life. This is why he declared further, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.” Assuring us that suffering, pain, sacrifice, or death to self leads to abundant life.
However, no one is ever comfortable with suffering and pains or even death. Humanly, Jesus was scared though he knew that was the only available option. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say” ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”
At the same time, Jesus knew how hard his passion and death were hard for his disciples and apostles to understand. Once again, he empathically demonstrated to them that, it was God´s will that will lead to glorification, resurrection, and salvation of all.
CHRIST´S SUFFERING, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION: THE MOTIVATION OF LENT
In a nutshell, today’s readings focus on the approaching death of Jesus which Paul considers a priestly sacrifice and John considers the moment of Jesus’ “exaltation” and “glorification.” The readings offer us the challenge of dying to self.
Just as Jesus became the “Promised Messiah of Glory” and the “Conquering Son of Man” by offering his life for others. We, too, if we would come to Heaven, must die to self by loving obedience, spending our lives in self-giving, and sacrificial service.
This is what the Lenten season of grace, mercy, and redemption offers us to attain glorification or victory of the Easter resurrection. Through dying to self, to our ego, desires, inclinations, and the world. Something, we must do through Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penance.
Therefore, our heart’s intention this 5th Sunday is to ask God that with the grace of Lent may we not be afraid of our death or shun the willingness to die to all forms of sin, evil, or spiritual death that robs us of grace, mercy, and love.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the life and the resurrection of the dead and you offer us the most lasting solution to the problem of sin and evil dominance in the world: a dying to self. Help us to realize always and everywhere that it is in humans dying of ego, pride, power, things, and persons that we grow into abundance spiritually in all ramifications. Am
