Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today's Mass Readings

Tensions rise in the gospel passages in these last days before Holy Week as Jesus’ adversaries hatch plots against him. They cannot tolerate the guilt that his words stir up within their hearts. Rather than seeking the mercy of God and embrace repentance and change in their lives, they close their ears and have decided to destroy the One who proclaims: “Whoever serves me must follow me” (Jn 12:26). These are key words in today’s gospel from St. John. In this brief statement Jesus summarizes his challenge to each of us. “If you want to be my disciple, follow me.” But what does he mean by “follow me”?

We have heard these words echo throughout St. Mark’s gospel in the past two months: To his disciples, he said “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mk 1:17). To Levi, he said ‘“Follow me. And he rose and followed him” (Mk 2:14). To the rich young man, Jesus said “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Mk 10:21). To the disciples these words meant giving up family and facing an uncertain future, to Matthew it meant leaving a lucrative occupation and adopting a new lifestyle and to the rich man it meant a challenge to give his wealth to the poor—an invitation that saddened him too much to undertake.

Today, the words “follow me” take on an even more serious tone. As Jesus now faces the hour for which he had come and “the kind of death he would die” he says to us: “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” Jesus’ call is not just to give up family, occupation or riches—but it is a total a renunciation of self, abandonment to the Father’s will and ultimately relinquishment of even life itself. Jesus shows us the way. We hear Jesus say “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’?” He is fully aware of what he must do. He knows that he must be lifted up on the cross in order to draw us to Himself. And His Father’s affirmative response thundered from heaven. The road to the cross ultimately leads to glory and Jesus promises us a share in that victory: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”

Are Jesus’ words today too much for us? Are our hearts fully open to following Jesus, even if that path leads through suffering and to the cross?

Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB