Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Based on the Jn. 12:20-33 (Gospel);
Jr. 31:31-34 (1st Reading); Heb 5:7-9 (2nd Reading)
From the Series of “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
ANGUISH
OF CHRIST
“Father, glorify your name!” - Jn. 12:28
At the approach of his impending
passion and eventual crucifixion, Jesus Christ was troubled in heart. According
to the gospels, he felt troubled, anguish, or angst. This is one of the places
in scriptures where biblical figures experienced anguish, angst or being
trobled.
Anguish comes from the Latin word
“angustus”, which means “narrow,
tight”.
Encarta Dictionaries (Microsoft
2010) defines being troubled, anguish and angst. It defines being troubled as “anxious
or upset,” which are experiences of distress or worry. Anguish is also defined
by Encarta as “extreme anxiety or emotional torment.” Distress is defined as
lacking inner clam and experience of emotional conflict or psychological
difficulties. Angst is defined by Encarta dictionaries as a “feeling of dread
or anxiety”.
The three readings for this Fifth
Sunday of Lent records the troubled words of anguish that came from Jesus
Christ’s mouth.
The gospel of John tells of this
story: “Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this
hour? But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father,
glorify your name!’ A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will
glorify it again’” (Jn. 12:27-28).
Footnote f of Jn 12:27 says: “This
episode and Gethsemane have many details in common; the anguish of the ‘hour’
draws near, the appeal to the Father’s pity, the acceptance of death, the
comfort from heaven (cf. Lk.). But we should note the dissimilarities: in Jn.,
Christ’s prayer for pity remains unuttered; nor does he ‘fall to the ground’
(Mt. Mk.) or ‘kneel’ (Lk). Cf. Jn.
18:4-6; 10:18+.”
Footnote g of Jn 12:28 states
that: “Var. ‘your Son’. The Father’s name is his person. Jesus worked for the
Father’s glory; his death, now freely offered, is the completion of that work
because it shows how great is the Father’s love for men, 17:6+.”
Jn. 6:38 - Because
I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one
who sent me.
Jn. 11:33 - At
the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in
great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart.
Jn. 13:21 - Having
said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most
solemnly, one of you will betray me’.
Mt. 26:37 - He
took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, “My soul is sorrowful to the
point of death. Wait here and keep awake with me.’
Heb 5:7-8- During
his life on earth, he offered up prayers and entreaty, aloud and in silent
tears, to one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so
humbly that c that his prayer was heard. Although, he was Son, he learnt to
obey through suffering.
Footnote m of Mt. 26:37 states
that: The turn of phrase recalls Ps. 42:5 and Jon 4:9.
Footnotes a, b, and c of Heb.
5:7-8 says-
a - Lit. ‘in the days
of his flesh’ (on the word ‘flesh’ cf. Rm. 7:5+). The emphasis of this section
is on humanity; a priest must be human
since he represents human beings and he must share their sufferings
since he must feel compassion for them, CF. 2:17-18 ; 4:15 Jesus suffered in this way all through his life on
earth, and especially in his agony and death.
b - Not saved from
dying. Since that was the purpose of his life, Jn. 12:27f, but rescued from
death after dying, Ac 2:24f. God transformed his death by raising him to glory
after it, Jn. 12:27f; 13:31f; 17:5; Ph. 2:9-11; Heb. 2:9.
c - Li ‘because of his
eulabela’ (i.e, religious awe). It
was because the prayers of Christ in Gethsemane was a prayer of total
submission to the will of his Father, Mt. 26:39,42, that it was heard and
answered.
The Second Reading is taken from
Apostle Paul’s letter to Hebrews (Heb 5:7-9). It says:
“During
his life on earth, a he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud in silent tears,
to the one who had the power to save him out of death; and he submitted so
humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey
through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him
the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high
priest of the order of Melchizedek.”
Heb. 5:7-8 and
its footnotes b, c, and d have already been quoted above under the section on
the gospel. The message of this text is already very clear.
The First
Reading from Jr. 31:31-34 states that:
“See,
the days are coming - it is Yahweh who speaks-when I will make a new covenant
with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah) but not a covenant like the
one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring
them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant of mine, so I had to
show them who was master. It is Yahweh who speaks. No, this is the covenant I
will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive- it is Yahweh who
speaks. Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then
I will be their God and they shall be my people. There will be no further need for neighbor to
try to teach neighbor, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know Yahweh!’
No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest- it is Yahweh
who speaks- since I will forgive their iniquity and never call their sin to
mind.”
The above text is quoted in
Hebrews 8:8-12.
This new covenant foretold by
Jeremiah in the above quoted text can only happen if Jesus Christ will be willing
to accept his crucifixion in obedience to God’s will or plan for him.
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