5th Sunday of Lent

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Jer.31:31-34; Ps. 50:3-15; Hebrew 5:7-9; John 12:20-30

Today on the 5th Sunday of Lent, we journey with Christ as he prepares himself to embrace the hour of humiliation and suffering, the hour of his impending death.

The first reading of this Sunday is an assurance of God’s continuous presence with us. It reminds us of the new thing that God is about to do in our midst: “I will make a new covenant and never call their sin to mind … then, I will be their God and they will be my people.”

God is ready to set aside a relationship that was destroyed by infidelity – a broken relationship. On our part, we must be ready to accept this new covenant of God which offers us salvation and life.

The second reading reminds us of the Gethsemane experience of Jesus. It reminds us of the great sacrifice of Jesus. Even though Jesus was the son of God, he learned through suffering what it means to be obedient. This is the Jesus we encounter in the Gospel of John today. Jesus who is ready to face his darkest hour with inner motivation and trust in his Father.

Today, as we see Christ conducting his priestly and intercessory role, we must find new courage to press on amid trials, persecution and even doubts. Also, we must learn from His experience that suffering is necessary and inevitable in life. This is because just like Christ, we will be made perfect through it.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that “Now the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.” What glory is there in suffering? Jesus saw beyond the clouds of pains and difficulties to behold success and eternal life.

As we reflect on Jesus’ readiness to accept humiliation and suffering for our salvation, it is time to question our own credibility, relative to our preparedness to accept suffering for the love of Christ. This season of Lent gives us the opportunity to imitate Christ and become Christ-like. May God gives us inner strength in the days ahead.