Fifth Sunday in Lent, Cycle B

JOHN 12:20 -33

IT'S INTERESTING TO READ THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS. THERE ARE THOSE LIKE AUGUSTINE, WHO WAS LIVING QUITE WELL, ALMOST LIKE A PAGAN – AND THEN HE MADE A COMPLETE ABOUT FACE AND BECAME A CHRISTIAN. THERE ARE THOSE LIKE PAUL, WHO WENT FROM PERSECUTING THE CHURCH TO BEING IT'S FORMOST APOSTLE. AND THEN THERE ARE SAINTS LIKE THOMAS AQUINAS AND PADRE PIO, SEEMINGLY SAINTS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD. THERE NEVER WAS A TIME WHEN THEIR HOLINESS WAS IN DOUBT.

BUT THE MOST INTERESTING SAINTS, I THINK, ARE THE ONES WHO WERE GOING ALONG LIVING GOOD LIVES, EVEN BLAMELESS LIVES. AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. MOTHER THERESA WAS LIKE THAT. SHE WAS RELATIVELY HAPPY BEING A NUN, BUT FELT IMPELLED TO SOMETHING MORE, AND LEFT HER ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF THE POOREST OF THE POOR. SAINT THERESA OF AVILLA WAS WELL ESTABLISHED AS A SISTER IN HER CARMELITE CONVENT, AND THEN FELT GOD'S CALL TO REFORM THE CARMELITE MOVEMENT.

SO WE HAVE SAINTS WHO MADE A DRAMATIC CONVERSION; SAINTS WHO SEEM NEVER TO HAVE TO BE CONVERTED, AND THEN THE ONES WHO WERE ALREADY LIVING THE GOSPEL, BUT WERE CALLED TO SOMETHING MORE RADICAL, SOMETHING DEEPER.

I THINK MOST OF US CAN IDENTIFY WITH THIS THIRD GROUP – NOT BECAUSE WE'VE MADE THAT LEAP FROM PRETTY GOOD TO BEING A SAINT, BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE ARE MAKING AN EFFORT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO BETTER. I THINK REAL CHRISTIANS CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THE CALL TO GO BEYOND WHERE THEY ARE, TO DO JUST A LITTLE MORE.

JESUS IS TALKING TO US TODAY – THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY HIS FOLLOWERS. EVEN THOUGH THE GOSPEL IS A LITTLE LONG AND TYPICAL OF SAINT JOHN, A LITTLE HARD TO FOLLOW, JESUS TELLS US FOUR THINGS.

FIRST, HE SAYS, “VERY TRULY, I TELL YOU, UNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT FALLS INTO THE EARTH AND DIES, IT REMAINS JUST A SINGLE GRAIN; BUT IF IT DIES, IT BEARS MUCH FRUIT". THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE. A GRAIN OF WHEAT DOES NOT REALLY DIE WHEN IT FALLS INTO THE EARTH; WHAT IS IN IT AS POTENTIAL BECOMES ACTUAL. BUT THE WHEAT PLANT CAN ONLY GROW IF THE GRAIN GIVES ITSELF UP. YOU AND I ALL HAVE WITHIN US A GREAT SAINT; WHAT IS KEEPING THAT SAINT FROM DEVELOPING IS SIMPLY THE FACT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE, WE DON'T WANT TO INVEST THE TIME AND ENERGY, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THE PLEASURES AND FAMILIARITIES IN OUR LIVES.

SECOND, HE SAYS, “THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT THOSE WHO HATE THEIR LIFE IN THIS WORLD WILL KEEP IT FOR ETERNAL LIFE.” IF I HAVE TO HATE MY LIFE, I'M IN TROUBLE; I LIKE MY LIFE. THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE GRATEFUL I AM FOR ALL THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME. JESUS THOUGH, MEANS THAT I HAVE TO LEARN TO LOOK BEYOND THIS LIFE, TO FIRMLY BELIEVE WITH MY WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT THIS LIFE IS JUST THE FRONT PORCH OF ETERNAL LIFE. IF I AM CONVINCED OF THIS, IF I TRULY TAKE JESUS AT HIS PROMISES, THEN SOME PART OF ME CAN'T WAIT TILL I GET THERE. AND IF I HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE, THEN WHAT I TREASURE ABOUT THIS LIFE COMES INTO PERSPECTIVE. YES, ENJOY LIFE, ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS – BUT LET GO IF THEY ARE GETTING IN THE WAY.

THIRD, HE SAYS, “WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME. WHERE I AM, THERE WILL MY SERVANT BE ALSO.” IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO SERVE JESUS WE HAVE TO GO WHERE HE IS. AND WE KNOW WHERE THAT IS. HE IS IN THE EUCHARIST. HE IS IN SCRIPTURES. HE IS IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH. HE IS WHEREVER TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME. HE IS WITH THE POOR, AND THE SICK, AND ORPHANS AND WIDOWS. IT ISN'T HARD TO FIND OUT WHERE HE IS; HE TOLD US. IT IS HARD TO GO WHERE HE IS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ISN'T CONVENIENT, OR WHEN WE HAVE TOO MUCH ON OUR PLATES. BUT YOU AND I HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES – ARE WE WHERE HE IS? BECAUSE IF WE AREN'T WE CAN'T CALL OURSELVES SERVANTS, CAN WE?

AND FINALLY HE SAYS SOMETHING TRULY MARVELOUS. “WHOEVER SERVES ME, THE FATHER WILL HONOR.” WE ARE HERE IN THIS CHURCH HONORING THE FATHER – THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN WE CELEBRATE MASS. THE MAIN WAY WE HONOR HIM IS TO OFFER HIS SON TO HIM – SOMETHING MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SON, WHO GAVE HIMSELF TO US ON THE CROSS, AND WHO GAVE OUR PRIESTS THE GIFT OF TRANSFORMING BREAD AND WINE INTO THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS, INTO HIS OWN BODY AND BLOOD. WE OFFER WHAT WE CAN OFFER – COMMON FOOD AND DRINK – AND JESUS BECOMES SACRAMENTALLY PRESENT. AND THIS IS THE GREATEST HONOR WE CAN GIVE THE FATHER, GREATER THAN THAT OF THE ANGELS – BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN WHAT WE OFFER.

AND YOU AND ARE PROMISED THAT WE WILL BE HONORED BY THIS SAME FATHER IF WE CAN COUNT OURSELVES AMONG THOSE WHO SERVE THE SON. SAINT PAUL SAID THAT “EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR HAS EAR HEARD … WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT WILL BE SOMETHING WONDERFUL – TO HEAR THOSE WORDS, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, NOW ENTER YOUR MASTER'S JOY.”

IT IS IN OUR HANDS TO BE GREAT SAINTS. JESUS TELLS US IN THESE FOUR STATEMENTS HOW TO TELL WHO IS HIS SERVANT – AND OF COURSE, HOW TO BE HIS SERVANT IF WE CHOOSE THAT. LET US LEAVE MASS TODAY WITH NEW DETERMINATION IN OUR HEARTS TO GO FROM PRETTY GOOD TO SAINTHOOD.