5th Sunday of Lent

03-21-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Arul Doss

Dear People of God,

Good morning to you all. Hope that you are all keeping fine and safe. As we are marching towards Easter, we are drawing to the most important moments in our journey this season. Christ is ready to offer everything for our salvation. So, we too must be willing to offer all for him and for others.

The first reading of this fifth Sunday of lent give us an assurance of God’s continuous presence with us. It also reminds us of the new thing that God is about to do in our midst: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Juda… “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer 31:31-33).

God is ready to set aside a relationship that was destroyed by infidelity. He wishes to restore a broken relationship. On our own part, we must be ready to accept this new covenant with God. This new covenant offers us salvation and life. So, all he demands from us is to be ready to accept this new covenant made in Christ Jesus.

The second reading of today reminds of the great sacrifice of Christ. Christ is willing to pay this price this season in order to get us going in life. He will achieve it through his passion, death and resurrection for humanity. He will do all these in humility and obedience, which are very important virtues we need in other to excel in life. Without these Christ would not be able to achieve the new covenant for our salvation.

The gospel of today draws us closer to our destination. “Amen, amen, I say to you, 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” (Jn12:24). He knew that his suffering and death would restore life to many. So, rather than be discouraged by the temporary situation of suffering, he was encouraged and motivated by the honest reward of eternal life. Hence, Christ offered his suffering and life in order to restore a broken covenant and eternal life for all who believe in him. Jesus invites us to be strong along the path of life. He wants us to be where he is. So, we must be ready to endure as he did. We must be ready to suffer as a grain dies in order to regenerate. Practically speaking, we suffer every day when we stand up for justices, when we stand for the truth and when we say no to sin, corruption and immorality.

These daily sufferings exhaust us physically, but they strengthen us spiritually. Therefore, as we continue our walk with Christ this season, the thought of his own suffering and death must strengthen us daily. As our Lenten journey soon concludes, may we consider the ways in which we might continue the practice of self-denial by offering small, daily sacrifices to the Lord.

Have a Happy and Blessed Sunday!

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr.Doss

BACK TO LIST