Fourth Sunday of Lent

Jeremiah 31-31-34

Three times in this short reading, the word “covenant” is used.  It is a very powerful word.  The covenant was first made with Moses and the Israelites with the presentation of the Ten Commandments.   God promised to accompany His people always as they journeyed through life as a nation.  At times, they broke the covenant and damaged their relationship with God, but he always forgave them.  God promises in this reading to always be with Israel.  He will forgive them and always value them.  Now that covenant is ratified in the Blood of Jesus, the Son of God.  Jesus will be with us always until the end of time.

Have you ever broken the covenant with God by sinfulness?  Are you reconciled?

Hebrews 5: 7-9

This reading really makes Jesus accessible to us all.  He sometimes approached God with “loud cries and tears.”  Perhaps we have been in the same situation where it seems all is going wrong.  Only cries and tears can express what is happening.  The next phrase says that Jesus “was heard because of his reverence.”  I assume that “reverence” means faith, courage, strength and other characteristics of a faithful disciple.  The most important thing is that he was heard.  God hears our loud cries and tears too and responds with generosity.

What is your suffering now?  How is God there with you in that suffering?  What have you learned from it?

John 12:20-33

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”  That small phrase spoken by the Greeks to Philip is very important to us all.  We don’t know why they want to see Jesus.  They do listen closely to him and then they hear him talk about losing his life and then a voice comes from heaven.  They are probably thinking, “Geez, who is this guy?”  So Jesus speaks about his mission not just to Jewish people but also to the Gentiles in order to show the universality of his mission.  He is here for all people.  Later in the reading, Jesus says he is troubled and then a heavenly voice speaks like thunder.  Despite his troubles, His Father is there for him.

If you, like the Greeks, want to see Jesus, what would you say to him?  What would you ask of him?  How does the universality of Jesus’ mission challenge you?

 I invite your comments.