Thank you to all who welcomed me back from my mission trip to Hungary and Croatia! It is good to be home . . . Today’s Gospel begins with
Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast These Greeks were probably not ethnically Greek. Rather, they were Jews or Gentiles living in other parts of the world which had adopted the Greek language and culture.
(they) came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, Why did they come to Phillip? Bethsaida in Galilee was one of those places that had become culturally Greek. Also, Phillip is a Greek name. They came to Phillip, because he literally spoke their language. They came to Phillip because he knew their needs and he knew what made them tick. He was someone with whom they could identify. Primarily, though, they came to Phillip because he knew Jesus. Dear parishioners, there are many people out there who identify with you. They are your relatives, your neighbors, and the people you work with or went to school with. You have the same backgrounds and you speak the same language. They may not even know it yet but they are looking, their hearts are yearning, for something, rather, some One to whom they could look to for meaning, for purpose, someone to whom they can turn, to help them with the burdens of life. They are looking for Someone who can take away their pain.
and (they) asked him, Sir, we would like to see Jesus. To see Jesus, one must be led to him, to be introduced to Him by someone who already knows Him. That was not only the job of the apostles, it’s your job also because the Church, by her nature, is missionary (Decree Ad Gentes).
The hour has come The hour is not chronological time (kronos), but Kairos, the fullness of time. This is the moment that all creation has been waiting for since the fall of Adam.
for the Son of Man to be glorified. The glory which Jesus speaks of is not the glory of worldly fame or success; it is not the intoxicating power of ruling others; it is certainly not fleeting moments of pleasure or excess. The glory that Jesus speaks of is the glory of service. It’s the glory of pouring out your life for others, of being wounded, mocked and humiliated, so that the sins of the world might be forgiven. It’s the glory of an innocent death that frees the guilty; the glory of vanquishing death, it’s the glory of setting captives free; it’s the glory of defeating sin and liberating all humanity.
Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. Please, look at the crucifix behind me. It’s the cross of Christ that unmasks the real face of sin and shows sin to be what it really is. Look at the cross and Christ crucified: This is what fornication and sexual impurity and every perversion really looks like; this is what jealousy, anger and selfishness do to the human person; this is the true face of hatred, unforgiveness, lying and murder. And the judgment on the world is this: God puts sin to death.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself.
With the lifting up of Jesus Christ everyone is inexorably being drawn into the heart of God. Today, at the elevation, let Jesus Christ draw you into His own heart. Amen!
5th Sunday of Lent + Year B ’09
March 29, 2009 by deaconsteve
Amen, amen, amen. Welcome home!
This is very uplifting. Thank you.
Thank you Danielle, I appreciate every comment!