We recall the Passion of the Lord in John’s Gospel, giving thanks to God for the saving work of Christ and seeking the grace to face the agonies and sacrifices of our lives.
Here are some of the themes that emerge in the Mass readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent.
1st Reading – Jeremiah 31:31-34
The Lord will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.
The covenant will be written on their hearts, and God will forgive their sins.
Psalm – 51:3-4,12-15
“Create a clean heart in me, O God.”
The Lord mercifully renews our spirit, gives us joy, and leads us back to God.
2nd Reading – Hebrews 5:7-9
During his earthly life, Jesus offered prayers and supplications to God.
Christ learned obedience through his suffering and became the source of our eternal salvation.
Gospel – John 12:20-33
Like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies in order to bear much fruit, so also a disciple of Christ must lose his life in this world in order to preserve it for eternal life.
When the Lord was lifted up from the earth, he drew all people to himself…indicating his death on the Cross.
Offering a parable to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus speaks about his suffering and rejection, showing us the path that leads from the Cross into newness of life.
Having taught his disciples about his crucifixion in Jerusalem, the Lord takes a teachable moment to show how their humble service becomes a life-giving offering.
The glory of the Transfiguration of Jesus gives hope and consolation to Peter, James and John as Jesus speaks about his upcoming Passion and death on the Cross.
The two Great Commandments to love God and love our neighbor can be summed up in the Cross, where Jesus models the depth and breadth of love as our example and guide.
As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem to fulfill salvation history through his death and resurrection, he is confronted by the pettiness and fragility of human hearts.