εὐαγγελίζω (euaggelizo)
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
“to announce the Good News of victory in battle”
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.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.
“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”
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.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.
“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”
John 12:24-28
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Fifth Sunday of Lent
θεωρέω (theoreo)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
(“to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning”)
As is always the case with Sacred Scripture, context is a vital element assisting one to receive the saving message. This is especially the case with Sunday Mass proclamations that are not sequential: not knowing what has happened immediately before the episode proclaimed can leave one floundering a bit to catch what is happening in the life of Jesus.
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel proclaimed when the Scrutinies for the Elect are not celebrated is part of Jesus’ ‘mini-descent’ to Bethany and ‘mini-ascent’ to Jerusalem. Beginning in chapter 11 with the calling forth of Lazarus form the tomb in Bethany, Jesus then travels to the home of His friends where Mary anoints His feet while rebuking Judas for his somewhat hypocritical concern for the poor. The “next day” (John 12:1, a phrase that occurs often in the Gospel according to Saint John linking much in this Gospel to the account of Creation in Genesis 1 signalling that Jesus is involved in a new creation) begins Jesus ‘mini-ascent’ to Jerusalem where He is triumphantly received by the crowds and sought after by a number of Greeks (Gentiles). Throughout all these events, some religious authorities have been escalating their plans to have Jesus arrested and executed. Jesus response to this, “I am troubled (τετάρακται, tetaraktai) now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” (John 12:27.)
The Greek verb ταράσσω (tarássō) can be translated into English in various ways, each focusing on a particular aspect of reality. For example, earlier in John, a sick man says to Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up (5:7). Here, ταράσσω (tarássō) indicates disturbance or agitation in water that not only mixes elements in the water but also aerates as well. When the water at the pool of Bethesda bubbled, people would enter it to be healed of various aliments.
More frequently though, ταράσσω (tarássō) expresses a condition of the inner life. When Jesus arrives in Bethany after receiving new of Lazarus’ death and meets Mary, the Evangelist notes (11:33), “When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled.” (ταράσσω, tarássō) Later in chapter 14, Jesus commands His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (ταράσσω, tarássō, 14:1) and “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled (ταράσσω, tarássō) or afraid.” (14:27)
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel proclaimed when the Scrutinies for the Elect are not celebrated is part of Jesus’ ‘mini-descent’ to Bethany and ‘mini-ascent’ to Jerusalem. Beginning in chapter 11 with the calling forth of Lazarus form the tomb in Bethany, Jesus then travels to the home of His friends where Mary anoints His feet while rebuking Judas for his somewhat hypocritical concern for the poor. The “next day” (John 12:1, a phrase that occurs often in the Gospel according to Saint John linking much in this Gospel to the account of Creation in Genesis 1 signalling that Jesus is involved in a new creation) begins Jesus ‘mini-ascent’ to Jerusalem where He is triumphantly received by the crowds and sought after by a number of Greeks (Gentiles). Throughout all these events, some religious authorities have been escalating their plans to have Jesus arrested and executed. Jesus response to this, “I am troubled (τετάρακται, tetaraktai) now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” (John 12:27.)
The Greek verb ταράσσω (tarássō) can be translated into English in various ways, each focusing on a particular aspect of reality. For example, earlier in John, a sick man says to Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up (5:7). Here, ταράσσω (tarássō) indicates disturbance or agitation in water that not only mixes elements in the water but also aerates as well. When the water at the pool of Bethesda bubbled, people would enter it to be healed of various aliments.
More frequently though, ταράσσω (tarássō) expresses a condition of the inner life. When Jesus arrives in Bethany after receiving new of Lazarus’ death and meets Mary, the Evangelist notes (11:33), “When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled.” (ταράσσω, tarássō) Later in chapter 14, Jesus commands His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (ταράσσω, tarássō, 14:1) and “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled (ταράσσω, tarássō) or afraid.” (14:27)
Jesus’ declaration of being troubled is a privileged glimpse into His inner life, particularly the true, genuine and full human nature He has freely taken to Himself. In His humanity, the Divine Person Jesus reveals the Father, makes know the Father’s merciful love as He [Jesus] is the very embodiment of that love and desires all humanity to know Him in the manner of an encounter that is authentically personal (that is, relating as persons, not personal as a synonym for private or individual). These works cost Jesus His life because many preferred the darkness instead of He Who is Light to the world (see John 1:9-13). While John 12:27 seems to indicate the troubled-spirit is brief as Jesus continues in prayer to His Father, it is nonetheless a moment that speaks to the full human nature He possesses. In other words, if Jesus, in His humanity, were NOT to express some dimension of internal trouble in the face of murderous plots and the foreboding intimidation of crucifixion, something would be wrong. This point is echoed in the Second Reading as Mass this Sunday from the Letter to the Hebrews, “In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh, He offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the One who was able to save Him from death...” (5:7-9)
As the days of Lent are slowly drawing to a close, keeping the Baptismal focus of Lent still remains. Even if the Third Scrutiny for the Elect was not celebrated in your parish, Lent remains a season of purification and enlightenment for both Elect and the Faithful who are already converted to Jesus in the Easter events of Baptism-Confirmation-Eucharist. For the Elect, their focus is on the encounter with Jesus in these sacramental mysteries. For the Faithful, Lent’s focus is being able to renew Baptismal promises at Easter with body-mind-soul purified and enlightened so as to respond with our all to the call of Jesus. At this moment, though, His call is a journey to go down with Him in death-dealing waters of Baptism by walking with Him up to Calvary. It is troubling, unsettling, uneasy and the only path to a glory that is the fullness of life in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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