Love through Death

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032215-fifth-sunday-lent.cfm) reminds me that God loves us so much that he was willing to suffer for us.

In the first reading, we see how God told Jeremiah that he would be making a new covenant to us, and it will cause us to know God and love God. It will be inherent in us. We will all know Him and him alone. And in the gospel, we see how that covenant came to be – through Jesus and his life, death and resurrection. The second reading also tells us what Jesus went through for this covenant to be fulfilled. And when he was risen from the dead, he drew everyone to Him. Everyone knew him. Everyone knew God’s love. Thus the fulfillment of the covenant in the first reading.

God loves us so much that he was willing to let His only Son Jesus suffer and die for us.

This should move us into loving God more. This should move us to repentance. Jesus died for us, sinners. And knowledge of this and experiencing this should bring us to repentance. The psalmist echoes this prayer of repentance and humility. And God, in all his goodness and love, tells us in the first reading that he will forgive everyone and forget their sins. This is how much God loves us.

God’s immense love for us was paid with a painful price. May this move us to love him more, and as we continue the season of lent, may this be an additional inspiration for us to be one with him in suffering for the glory of God.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another Sunday. Lord, thank you for your love. Thank you for your willingness to suffer and die for me. Lord, I allow you to love me. I submit to you. And as I feel your love alive and real in my life, I thank you. May it move me to love you more. May it move me to repent of my sins. May it move me to live for you. May it move me to be one with you in suffering – so I can learn to be detached of the world and cling on and be closer to you. Help me, Lord to live my life for your praise and glory. Amen.

Blessed Sunday!

In Christ,

-g-

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March 22, 2015 - Fifth Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 35

Reading 1 Jer 31:31-34

The days are coming, says the LORD,

when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel

and the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers

the day I took them by the hand

to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;

for they broke my covenant,

and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.

But this is the covenant that I will make

with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD.

I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;

I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives

how to know the LORD.

All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,

for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners shall return to you.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Reading 2 Heb 5:7-9

In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh,

he offered 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 reverence.

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.

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 12:26

Whoever serves me must follow me, says the Lord;

and where I am, there will my servant be.

Gospel Jn 12:20-33

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.

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.