Lectio for the fifth sunday of lent
First Reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34): God announces a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the old covenant, written on tablets of stone, but God will inscribe his law in the hearts of his people. All will know the Lord and be forgiven of their sins.
Psalm 50: Invites us to ask God for a pure heart and to recognize our need for his mercy. May the Lord renew us from within and guide us in his ways.
Second Reading (Hebrews 5:7-9): Christ presents himself as the author of eternal salvation. In spite of his anguish, Jesus obeyed unto death and became the source of life for all who follow him.
Gospel (John 12:20-33): Jesus announces that the hour of his glorification has come. Like the grain of wheat that dies to bear fruit, he will also give himself for our salvation and by following Christ, we will find eternal life.
A new day begins and we wake up at dawn to listen and contemplate, both attitudes are fundamental to approach God and his will. Listening implies being attentive, receptive and willing to obey. Contemplating implies admiring, thanking and praising. Both attitudes help us to enter into communion with God and with others.
Listening.
Today’s liturgy is full of verses that renew the believer’s Hope. The Passover is approaching and therefore Jesus’ discourse is aimed at making the disciples aware of the end that awaits him and the blessings that his death will bring to all those who believe in HIM.
Contemplate.
Jesus uses the analogy of the grain of wheat to convey a profound spiritual truth to his disciples and to us. Here are some reasons why Jesus made this comparison:
Death and New Life: Like a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, Jesus knew that his own death on the cross would be the crucial act that would give rise to new life. His sacrifice would not be in vain; instead of remaining alone, like an unsown grain of wheat, his death would bear abundant fruit.
Redemption and Salvation: The grain of wheat must die to release its potential for growth. Similarly, Jesus’ death was not a failure, but a redemptive act. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus offers us salvation and reconciliation with God.
3.The Way of the Cross: Jesus was aware of his destiny on the cross. By comparing himself to a grain of wheat, he taught us that the way to eternal life is through the total gift of self.
Invitation.
The analogy of the grain of wheat is also an example of Humility and Obedience because the grain of wheat does not resist its destiny; it falls to the ground and dies. That is why we ask ourselves:
– Do you humbly accept the Father’s invitation to listen to his Son (Mk 9:7b)?
– Is every day a new opportunity to set out on the road?
– Do you live each day the call of Jesus to conversion? What gestures show this?
– What areas of your life need transformation? What must you let «die» in order to experience new spiritual growth?
Prayer.
May these readings inspire us to live with hope and to follow Jesus, who shows us the way to true life. Amen.
S. Mariulis Grehan, tc