HOMILY FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

 

LENT IS A TIME OF DYING TO SELF

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33

 

Today is the fifth Sunday in Lent. We are gradually approaching the time when Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying on the cross for our sake. The drama is beginning to build. Jesus himself made this point very clear in the gospel reading of today when he said that “the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (John 12:23). The hour’ that is spoken about is that of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. His suffering and death on the cross are paths to new life and glory.

Dear friend, Lent is about dying- dying to self/ self-emptying. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells us that unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it cannot bear fruit (John 12:24). Here, Jesus likens himself to a grain of wheat which is about to fall into the earth. As a matter of fact, Jesus became the grain of wheat that fell onto the ground and died; and the abundant fruit that he bore was salvation for all who believe in him. As his followers, unless we ourselves die to our own will, we cannot bear fruit for God. Our highest life does not consist in self-expression but in self-sacrifice, self-dying. Dying to self means sacrificing one’s self-will,  for the sake of God’s will, which is his law, “placed within us and written upon our hearts” (Jer. 31:33). Dying to self often means sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others. Only by dying to our self-seeking and worldly ambitions, can we bring life to others, spread joy and inspire hope.

Also, this period is a time of dying to self so as to live to God in Christ. Like the grain of wheat,we must die to self in order to produce rich harvest for God. Let us bear in mind that every act of humility is a dying to pride. Every act of love is a dying to selfishness and hate. Every act of courage involves dying to cowardice and fear. Every act of justice is a dying to injustice. Death is the means of life. To live, we must die because it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Lastly, Jesus tells us in the gospel reading that whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever despises his life in this world, keeps it for everlasting life (John 12:25). Dear friend, the season of Lent is also a time of losing oneself in the service of the needs of others. Jesus calls us today to shift our priorities away from self and to focus it toward God and the needs of others. It is often said that Christians are meant to be like candles, burning themselves to give other’s light. Today, let us die to ourselves so that others may get light. The task we have to do today is to reflect and choose the things that we are to die to within this period of Lent. As we do this, let us remember the saying that if one has found nothing worth dying for, then probably, one has found nothing worth living for.

PRAYER: God our Father, like Jesus your Son who was troubled by what was to come, we too are sometimes troubled by your call to die to ourselves. It is not always easy to do. Grant us the grace through the power of your Holy Spirit, to be resolute like Jesus to do not our will but yours. Amen.