March 28-29, 2009
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 5:7-9 John 12:20-33
Every now and then the Scriptures provide us with a head-scratching segue, wonderful literary techniques used by the Gospel authors to link assorted passages while also opening doors to ‘inspired truth’ (not historical truth….but ‘faith truth’.) This week we hear of some Greek visitors who ‘would like to see Jesus’. This message is passed from Philip to Andrew, who then together go to Jesus…and Jesus then launches into a lengthy response. We don’t hear from the Greeks again, we can only hope that they got their close-up with Jesus. The rhythm of Lent changes in these final weeks, we hear Jesus being ‘troubled’, he astutely knows that the final scenes in this divine drama are about to be played out. In our own lives, many want ‘to see Jesus’, which sometimes turns to disappointment when they discover ‘that the grain of wheat must fall and die in order to produce much fruit’ or again, ‘that whoever loves their life loses it, while whoever hates their life in this world, will preserve it.’ Next weekend’s sung presentation of The Passion is our entry into Holy Week, a tightly woven script containing all the drama, pathos, loss and exultation that defines our lives. There is the fickle excitement of the crowds, which turns to harsh rejection. There are tender farewells and promises of fidelity…promises broken and promises kept. There is betrayal and remorse, life and death, hope and hopelessness. While we know that Easter will dawn on April 12th, for many in our community Easter will not happen until they return to work or refinance their home or can stop draining their savings in order to pay for day to day life. While many of us rush to experience the Jesus of Easter, this weekend (and in the story of the Passion) we are reminded to not just seek him in the glorious moments, but in the experiences of The Cross. While we do not know if the Greeks got in to hear Jesus speak of ‘drawing everyone to himself’, we know that ‘his being lifted up’ represents the cross, a most painful and unpleasant reality. Like unemployment, like losing our savings, like having to cut our budgets and make embarrassing changes in family life, like having to leave our homes, like having to worry about retirement or college expenses or loans or medical care. And yet, the face of Jesus is very much within these tests and crosses…and in these weeks we are invited to gaze not upon the Resurrected face of Jesus….but rather, upon the crucified face…a face not unlike our own.
Thank you for coming and sharing this final weekend of March with our Corpus Christi community. Next weekend is Palm/Passion Sunday, the weekend when we not only have Blessed Palms available for you to take but also enter into Holy Week with the telling of the Passion Narrative. Jonathan Kim (our Music Ministry Coordinator) has prepared a fresh SUNG version of the Passion, so come prepared…and if at all possible….please come ON TIME so that you don’t miss out on any of the Palm Sunday drama. The Masses may also go a bit long, as they traditionally do on Palm Sunday, so plan accordingly. The Bulletin has the full schedule of Holy Week events, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday (no 5:00 p.m. Mass…only the Vigil at 7) and the THREE Easter Masses INSIDE at 8, 10 and 12 Noon. This coming Thursday, April 2nd, we have our Lenten Penance Services at 10 a.m. and then in the evening at 7:00. We will have a total of four priests at the evening service so that we may expeditiously handle the crowds. While Easter is on the horizon, Holy Week reminds us of the crosses we carry…but we do not carry them alone, remember, you are loved. Love, FKB
