In today's Gospel, some pagans ask to meet Jesus. Two apostles communicate this to them, which provokes a curious response on their part. "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified". We believe that "be glorified"is to be a celebrity. But when Jesus speaks of being glorified, he means going to the Cross, which was the least glorious, the most gruesome way to die known at that time. So degrading was it that Roman citizens could not be crucified. It was reserved for non-Romans and slaves. Jesus speaks of being a grain of wheat that falls into the ground, is buried and dies. He speaks of losing one's life, hating it, in order to save it for eternal life.
We see Our Lord troubled on several occasions foreseeing what was going to happen to Him. Humanly speaking, He did not desire it at all. Here in John we hear him say: "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say, Father, deliver me from this hour?". But as in other Gospel passages, here too he reacted to accept the will of his Father: "...".But if for this reason I have come for this hour: Father, glorify your name.". To make it clear that Jesus knew where he was going, the Gospel passage ends: "And when I shall be lifted up above the earth, I will draw all men unto me'. This he said, implying the death that he was going to die.".
The second reading tells us: "And, though he was a Son, he learned, through suffering, to obey. And, brought to the consummation, he became, for all who obey him, the author of eternal salvation.". He was willing to suffer and thus become a source of salvation. The more willing we are to suffer, the more we become instruments of salvation for others. This explains our Lenten penance. But the simple fulfillment of our duty can involve some suffering. Whether it is the suffering of defending our faith and being ridiculed, or the suffering of sacrificing ourselves for others. Or the suffering and joy of having the children God wants us to have. We lose in order to gain. We become the grain of wheat under the ground to produce a rich harvest.
Christian faith consists in appreciating and discovering the "glory" in the hard things of life. The symbol of our faith is a Cross, not an armchair. Instead of seeking our poor glory on earth, we seek to share God's glory in heaven, accepting and even embracing the Cross on earth in order to rise to eternal life.
Homily on the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
