New Life!

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jer 31:31-34; Heb: 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33

The fifth Sunday of Lent invites us to turn over a new leaf in our lives. 

The theme of ‘newness’ or ‘new life’ pervades the readings. 

The first reading offers an example of a new law that will be very different from other instances. 

The new law will be placed within us and written on our hearts by God. This inner law will act as the inner guide, making an external law redundant or unnecessary to regulate our conduct. 

The new law of God reminds us of natural law, by which we understand that we possess an innate moral sense and reason to assess good and bad without the help of an external law. Paul alludes to this in Romans 2:14-15. 

Thus, the new law that God puts in us will give us the intuitive power to lead a moral life. 

The second reading talks of a new form of sacrifice that Jesus offered for our sake. 

The prayers and supplications remind us of Jesus in the garden at Gethsemane.

The obedience that Jesus learned through his sufferings is a model for those who follow him. 

We must remember that the statement ‘Jesus was made perfect’ does not refer to his perfection in moral character but to his qualifications to be a sympathetic high priest who sacrificed his life to win us salvation. 

His sacrificial act has perfected us. Or we are made perfect through his sacrifices. 

In the Gospel, Jesus talks about a new life that follows the life of sacrifice. 

The imagery of ‘wheat grain taking another form as a plant only when it dies as a seed’ refers to Jesus’ readiness to become like a wheat grain for our sake. 

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, his resurrection, and his ascension symbolize his glorification by the Father. 

The altruistic nature of Jesus’ sacrifice is our model. 

The readings help us with three points for our reflection.

Training of Conscience: The new law has been placed in our hearts. God’s act of placing the new law within us obliges us to form and train our consciences. The practice of discerning God’s will on a daily basis will help us form our consciences. 

Learning from Jesus: The sympathetic High Priest learned obedience through what he suffered. Then, the life of Jesus offers us lessons on self-emptying. As we are recipients of Jesus’ sacrifice, others should benefit from our sacrificial goodness. 

The Virtue of Altruism: Jesus embraced the cross willingly. The clarity of Jesus regarding his mission shows his readiness to endure what he must. ‘It was for this purpose that I came to this hour’ reflects Jesus’ uncompromising attitude toward the salvation of humanity. What act or expression of unselfish love and generosity do I possess as a result of imitating Jesus? 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar