Timing the Hour

(Clocks went forward at 2 a.m.)

GOSPEL

(The hour of Jesus’ passion and death has arrived. Although he experiences desolation and pain, his Father’s loving presence is the greatest comfort for him. Jesus sees his passion as a moment of glory.)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John (12:20-33)

Among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him.
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show by what death he was to die.

Sermon

Jesus glorifies his Father in the moment of his passion and death. Death on the cross, for him, was not a punishment, but a means to glorify the Father whose plan for the salvation of the world finds its fulfilment on the cross. In his weak and painful moments Jesus prayed to the Father, even with loud cries, as the author of Hebrews tells us. His humanity is best expressed in such moments. Through these weak and painful human experiences, he becomes perfectly one with us, expressing his solidarity with the suffering and struggling humanity. “Son (God), though he was, he learned obedience through suffering” (Heb 5:8). Lord of the universe though he was, he becomes like a grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, in order to produce much fruit. (Cf. Jn 12:24). He was troubled in body and spirit, yet he knew there was a specific purpose for which he came to this world (Cf. Jn 12:27). And the purpose is the glorification of the Father and the salvation of the world.

Today Christ’s body, the Church continues to experience ridicule, rejection, misunderstanding, flogging and crucifixion in various parts of the world. Church in Orissa, experienced the agonizing pain of persecution in recent times. Christians were brutally beaten up, raped and murdered for being the disciples of Christ and bearing his name. The cruel treatment they endured are similar to the sufferings of Christ. However there are also inspiring and heroic testimonies of people who refuse to waver in their faith, people who stood courageously for Christ and loudly proclaimed their faith despite the most brutal treatment they received. Some of them said: “We have lost everything that we have, yet we still posses the most precious treasure of all – our Lord and Saviour Jesus. No one can take him away from us”. A priest, who was mercilessly beaten up all over his body and was lying half dead found a miraculous ‘presence’ strengthening him and saving him from the hands of his attackers. There is no doubt that the courageous witnessing and heroic sufferings of these innocent people produce abundant fruits for the Kingdom.

Christians in Iraq and many other countries face similar or worse situation. The Church today continues to glorify the Father and partake in the saving mission of Christ through her many martyrs.

In difficult moments such as these, Jesus is our model and inspiration. The desire to embrace his Father’s plan of redeeming love inspired Jesus’ whole life. That led him to embrace the cross and declare boldly: “I am troubled now. Yet what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour” (Jn 12:27). His total surrender to the Father’s will and his awareness of his mission were his driving force even as he endured sufferings. Jesus also knew the huge risk his disciples would be taking in deciding to follow him. He had warned them: “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you” (Jn 15:20).

–Fr Joe Eruppakkatt, SSP