“This fifth Sunday of Lent is also known as the first Sunday of the Passion as our Lenten observance takes a little twist and focuses much more clearly upon the suffering, death and the resurrection of the risen Lord Jesus and so we are invited in our minds eye to reflect upon that tremendous love of Jesus manifested through his death and resurrection. In the Gospel today we see where those two Greeks came and Greeks meaning Gentiles that had faith in Judaism, but two Greeks they say, ‘We want to see Jesus.’ and that’s kind of significant because they’re representing all of us. We want to see Jesus and that’s the reason why they’re included in that Gospel, but they say they want to see Jesus and Jesus does not respond with, ‘Yeah let’s sit down and visit.’ No, he begins a reflection upon his own Passion and his death. He begins that reflection upon the fact that the grain of wheat must die and be placed in the ground, buried and die in order to bring forth much fruit. It is only through death that fullness of life can come forth and so it is with Jesus himself that he faces the reality of his death recognizing that it will bring greater life, but nevertheless death is death and so there is that challenge that Jesus gives and that word hate our own life here is probably too strong a word here within our context, but if I don’t love my afterlife more than I love this life. That’s where the wrong is. We are called to love the fullness of life that is won through Christ Jesus as the most important as the one that we truly work toward that life everlasting and Jesus then also recognizes the fear that he has in facing his own death. Sometimes we think that Jesus didn’t have those human experiences that we have. No, he experienced everything that we experience except death in sin. He did not know the death in sin, but rather his death expiates sin, but Jesus knew fear as he faced his own death. He recognized that and he said, ‘Should I ask the Lord to deliver me from this?’ No, his response is, ‘I need to trust in the Lord. I need to trust in the Father’s love and care.’ and so that is the message for us as well. Yes, there’s moments of fear, anxiety worry within our lives and many people are affected by that during this pandemic, but in the midst of that we are called to recognize the power of God is one that calls us not just to life here, but to life everlasting and then Jesus finally in the Gospel today says, ‘Once I am lifted up then I will draw all people to myself.’ That being lifted up as the Gospel says is a reminder that Jesus was lifted up upon the cross. He was lifted up in execution. He was lifted up in pain and suffering, but he was lifted up as an expression of total fidelity and total love and that is the message of the crucifix. Each and every one of us is invited to ponder more fully the mystery of the death of Christ Jesus. Yes, one that was painful. Yes, one that he himself dreaded, but one also that in trust he accepted and through that brought about salvation and eternal life. That is the mystery that we enter into during this time. Jesus was lifted up in order to draw all of us to himself.
St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us. He’s a great theologian, and I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m always reminded he wrote volumes on theology, but toward the end of his life he said, ‘You will learn more about the love of God meditating upon the crucifix then you will ever learn from all of the theology books ever written.’ and so we are invited especially during this time to reflect upon the crucifix; Jesus being lifted up in suffering, in ignomy, but yet also in glory. Not only do we reflect upon the crucifix, but we also enter more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist that we celebrate for there too Jesus is lifted up. The bread and wine truly become his body given over for us his blood outpoured for us and so in that lifting up of the sacrifice of Christ that too is an opportunity for us to come to faith. That elevation of the body given over that blood poured out is an opportunity to say, “My Lord and my God.’ to recognize Jesus in his death and his resurrection present there. In every Eucharist we come to as we come forward to Holy Communion once again Christ is lifted up. He was lifted up not only upon the cross, but he was lifted up in his resurrection and it is both his death and resurrection that we experience in the Eucharist for it is the risen Christ who comes to us in Holy Communion and so once again he is lifted up as the minister of Holy Communion says, ‘The body of Christ.’ truly Christ crucified, but Christ risen from the dead and we are called to make that act of faith that recognition of Christ that acceptance of Christ more fully into our lives and so during this time what a moment of grace it is for all of us to reflect upon that infinite love of God manifested in Christ Jesus who embraced the reality of death, but through it overcomes the power of death of sin and brings the gift of life everlasting.”