March 17, 2024 / 12:01 AM
Today, March 17, the Catholic Church celebrates the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Today’s Gospel reading is taken from John, chapter 12, verses 20 to 33 (Jn 12, 20-33). Jesus states that “his hour” has come, in obvious allusion to his upcoming death. He then turns to a parable: if the grain of wheat dies, it will produce much fruit. The grain is He, who will die, but to bear fruit in abundance, fruits of eternal life.
The story indicates that Easter is approaching, and some Greeks have arrived in Jerusalem with the intention of participating in the festival. They meet Philip and tell him: “We want to see Jesus.” Philip tells it to Andrew and they both go and tell Jesus. The Lord’s response focuses on its “hour”: the grain of wheat that does not die remains infertile, but if it dies “it will produce much fruit.” Jesus adds that whoever does not hate himself in this world is lost, but if he does so he ensures eternal life. Suddenly, Jesus manifests what he is feeling: fear, because he will soon die. However, that fear does not defeat him. He knows what his mission is and he will fulfill it for our good: “… the prince of this world is going to be cast out. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me” (Jn 12:32-33).
Saint Augustine of Hippo, regarding today’s Gospel, reflects on that binomial “dying to live”, to which we have been associated by baptism: “For the love of the eternal, everything temporal becomes despicable to me and, for the sake of On the contrary, I hear my Lord himself (…) say: Now my soul has been troubled (“I’m afraid”). What does this mean? How do you command my soul to follow you, if I see that yours is disturbed? (…) What foundation will I look for, if the Rock succumbs? But I seem to hear in my imagination the Lord answering me and saying in some way: “You will follow me more, because I stand in the way so that you can endure it. You have heard the voice of my strength addressed to you; Hear in me the voice of your weakness. I give you strength to run and I do not stop you from accelerating, but I transfer to me what you fear and I guard the place where you pass.