Unless the Grain of Wheat Falls into the Ground..."

“Unless the Grain of Wheat Falls

into the Ground…”

March 25, 2012, 5^th Sunday of Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34  Hebrews 5:7-9  John 12:20-33 

Second reading

Christ, in the days when He was a man on earth, pleaded with God, praying with tears and agony of soul to the One who could save Him from death. His prayers were heard because of His willingness to obey God at all times.  And even though Jesus was God’s Son, He had to learn from experience what it was like to obey, when obeying meant suffering. It was after He had proved Himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Glory to you, Lord.

Among those who had come up to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover were some Greeks.[1] They approached Philip (who came from Bethsaida in Galilee) with this request, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip told Andrew, and the both of them went to Jesus who said to them:

The hour has come for the Son of Man to return to His glory in heaven. I tell you truly that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain of wheat. But if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.[2] He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will save it for eternal life.[3] If anyone serves me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now my soul is deeply troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from what lies ahead?” But that is the very reason why I came! Father, bring glory and honor to your name.

Then a voice from heaven said, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come for My sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this indicating the kind of death He would die.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

Spring & Annunciation

Last Tuesday, March 20, spring arrived, and we who still have the hearts and hands of farmers turn our thoughts to spring planting and `victory gardens’ (especially in these hard economic times). With the arrival of spring, Jesus’ parable of the grains of wheat falling into the ground, dying and rising up into flowing fields of wheat is timely.

Today, March 25, is the feast of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive Jesus. Nine months later, December 25, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Nine months from today is Christmas! If today weren’t the 5^th Sunday of Lent but a weekday, we would be celebrating the feast of the Annunciation at Mass.

A parable & a paradox

Today’s gospel is a parable. Jesus speaks about the grain of wheat which must fall into the ground and die, in order to rise up into flowing fields of wheat. He is alluding to his own death and resurrection. Evangelist John explicitly states that "Jesus said this indicating the kind of death He would die." (Jn. 12:33)

Today’s gospel is also a paradox: “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will save it for eternal life.”A paradox catches our ears, and makes us wonder what hidden meaning lies behind the words.

Fr. Damien – a grain of wheat

Father Damien de Veuster (1840-1889) was a Belgian and a member of the missionary order of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was sent to the Hawaiian Islands to minister to lepers who were quarantined on the island of Molokai.  The Bishop assigned him to pastor a secluded settlement of 816 lepers. Damien's first course of action was to build a church and establish the Parish of Saint Philomena, patroness of `hopeless’ cases. He was more than priest: he dressed ulcers, helped construct shelters, built coffins and dug graves. Six months after his arrival on Molokai, he wrote his brother, Pamphile, in Europe: “I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor.9:22) He literally made himself a leper. One day at Mass, he surprised his congregation with these words:  "We lepers!" Fr. Damien had contracted their disease, died of leprosy on April 15, 1889, at the age of 49. Pope John Paul II beatified him on June 4, 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized him on Sunday October 11, 2009.  

Fr. Damien was like the grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies, and yields a rich harvest. He `hated’ his life in this world, even to the point of leprosy. But at the end of the day he saved his life for eternal life.

Fr. Marek – a grain of wheat

Fr. Marek Bozek (b. March 21, 1958) was suspended and excommunicated in December of 2005. Then the Vatican `laicized’ him (stripped him of his priesthood and `reduced’ him to the lay state) in January of 2009. The move was recommended by Raymond Burke, the former Archbp. of St. Louis. The suspension, excommunication and finally laicization were punishments meted out to Fr. Bozek because of a litany of “crimes and derelicts.” For example, he maintains that the finances of any parish should rest in the hands of laypeople. He claims that every baptized male or female, celibate or married has a right to be considered for ordination to the priesthood. He says the words of Jesus pronounced at the consecration of the Mass “Take this all of you and eat it” oblige him to invite all believers to receive the Bread of Life. Fr. Marek told his congregation, “I strive to make this faith community a place where all disenfranchised and excluded persons can find their spiritual home. All are welcome at our Eucharistic table, and Holy Communion is never denied to anyone.” That indeed is his litany of “crimes and derelicts.” In response, Fr. Bozek declares “Here I stand.  I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

A Catholic for over 70 years responded to the whole situation with these words:

What is the Church coming to? Laypeople in charge of finances! A blessing on the ordination of women! Gay and divorced people being accepted! It’s so like something Jesus would do! As I read the article [in the NCR], I felt as though I was reading the Gospel in modern times: the Pharisees upholding Law; Jesus and his followers living love. It made me wonder how the hierarchy would rule if this were Jesus instead of Fr. Bozek. Would He be excommunicated for saving the prostitute from certain death, for eating with tax collectors, for speaking with the woman at the well, for giving the message of His resurrection to a woman first? Jesus reached out to those who were marginalized as well as to the rich, and He loved them. What is Fr. Bozek doing that Jesus would condemn? If the facts have been reported accurately, then perhaps Jesus is standing beside Fr. Bozek, encouraging him to reach out and embrace all those in his care with love. (National Catholic Reporter, Feb. 22, 2008)

Fr. Marek is willing to become like the grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies, in order to yield a rich harvest. He `hates’ his life in this world, as he exposes himself to suspension, excommunication and laicization. But at the end of the day he saves his life for eternal life.

Fr. Mychal – a grain of wheat

Franciscan Father Mychal Judge (May 11, 1933 – Sept.11, 2001) had a citywide reputation for being a compassionate champion of New York City’s needy and forgotten. He touched many in powerful and miraculous ways. He was as comfortable in the White House as he was in the slums of New York. All people were equal in Mychal’s eyes. He befriended and respected those of different faiths. He befriended those who were no longer practicing any religion. He did not judge them; he honored and treasured them for their own innate goodness. He was also a humble man who wrestled with his own private demons. He struggled with alcoholism, and was an outspoken AA advocate. Through his own vulnerability, imperfection and fragile humanity, he was able to reach people in their pain, shame and fragility.

Father Mychal was also a beloved chaplain of the New York City Fire Department. On the horrific day of September 11, 2001 (when two 747s smashed into the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, bringing down 2,000,000,000 tons of mortar and bricks, and 3000 innocent human beings) Father Mychal rushed to Ground Zero. There he became not only 9/11's first recorded victim but also its first recorded hero: he had taken off his helmet to give the last rites to a dying fireman when suddenly debris came crashing down on him, and killed him. His body was carried off to a nearby church, where it was laid on an altar. He soon came to be called 'The Saint of 9/11.' Cardinal Edward Egan presided at Mychal's funeral on September 15, 2001, in St. Francis of Assisi Church in NYC. The funeral was attended by former President Bill Clinton, Hillaary Clinton and daughter Chelsea.

When later a memorial was held for him, an endless flow of priests, nuns, lawyers, cops, firefighters, homeless people, rock-and-rollers, recovering alcoholics, local politicians and middle age couples from the suburbs streamed into Good Shepherd Chapel on Ninth Ave., an Anglican church, to do a memorial for a Roman Catholic priest. An editorial on Fr Mychal read,"If the account of his death was dolled up with a bit of legend it was because countless people out there wanted him to die both gorgeously and aptly in a manner that expressed the depth of his faith."

Fr. Mychal was like the grain of wheat which falls into the ground and dies, and yields a rich harvest. He `hated’ his life in this world, as he spent himself compassionately championing the needy and forgotten of New York City. He `hated’ his life in this world, especially as he rushed to Ground Zero where he became 9/11’s first recorded victim and hero. But at the end of the day he saved his     life for eternal life.

Conclusion

Saving our life for eternal life

Yearly we buy packets of seed. Some we manage to get planted. Others we tuck safely away somewhere. The seeds tucked safely away never fall into the ground and die, and never therefore rise up into the pretty flowers or tasty vegetables pictured on the packet. Jesus’ parable says that the only way for us to live life is to fall into the ground like a grain of wheat and die! It says that if we’re always `playing it safe’ and protecting ourselves, we remain no more than a grain of wheat. But if we refuse to `play it safe,’ as Fathers Damien, Marek and Mychal refused to `play it safe,’ we save our life for eternal life.

---

[1] Greeks – not in a nationalistic sense but as Gentile proselytes to Judaism.

[2] GOD'S WORD translation: “I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain.”

[3] GOD'S WORD translation: “Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life.”

"Jesus Wept"

The Shortest Scriptural Verse: “Jesus wept.” Jn 11:35

April 10, 2011, 5th Sunday of Lent: the Raising of Lazarus

Ezekiel 37:12-14 Romans 8:8-11 Johan 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

First reading from Ezekiel

Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus, you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised that I will do this---and I will. I, the Lord have spoken.

The Word of God

Thanks be to God

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Glory to you, Lord.

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.”When Jesus heard this He said, “His sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory, so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He remained where He was two days more. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Sir, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how He loved Lazarus.” But some of them said, “Could not the One who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when He had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and seen what He had done began to believe in Him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Introduction

The tomb of Lazarus

The raising of Lazarus from the dead is the crowning miracle of Jesus’ ministry. In John’s Gospel it becomes the main reason why the authorities in Jerusalem make plans to put Jesus to death. John writes, “From that day on, the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus.”(Jn 11:-53) As we draw near to the Good Friday tomb of Jesus (April 22), this 5th Sunday of Lent (Cycle A) takes us to the tomb of Lazarus in Bethany where everyone is weeping. There Jesus also is weeping.

A very special love

Jesus had a very special love for Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. He frequently visited their home in Bethany, a small village near Jerusalem. The gospels mention three such visits. On one visit Martha is fussing as she prepares a good meal for Jesus, and she’s angry that her sister Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet instead of giving her a helping hand. (Lk 10:38-42) In today’s gospel, Jesus goes to the sisters’ home, after hearing that their brother Lazarus has died. (Jn 11:1-45) Again, in John’s gospel Jesus visits the two sisters and their brother Lazarus (whom Jesus has raised from the dead), and Martha is again waiting on Jesus, while Mary pours expensive perfume on His feet. (Jn 12:1-9)

The shortest Scriptural verse

Three occasions in the Bible portray Jesus as weeping. (1) Luke 19: 41: “When Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city before Him, He began to weep. `Oh Jerusalem,’ He cried out, `eternal peace was within your reach and you turned it down.’” (2) Hebrews 5: 7: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death.” (3) John 11: 35: When Jesus heard that His dear friend Lazarus had died, He did not make a speech or preach a sermon or say that it was God’s will. Instead, Scripture says, “Jesus wept.” Just two words: “Jesus wept.” That’s the shortest verse in English translations of the Bible. Just one noun and one verb: “Jesus wept.”

A strange new God

The sentence couldn’t be simpler. But behind it stands a monumental truth: Jesus, fully man and fully God, found Himself in the midst of human tragedy (the death of a dear friend), and He did what we would do: He wept! The old revengeful gods of ancient Greece and Rome did not weep, but they were always making men weep. In Jesus we have a strange new God who makes no one weep. What’s more, in Jesus we have a strange new God who weeps because His very dear friend Lazarus has died. And He weeps also because Mary and Martha are weeping.

God wept on September 11th 2001

The revengeful gods of ancient Greece and Rome, who did not weep but who indeed made men weep, are alive and well in every age. This coming September 11th 2011 will be the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “9/11” is a terribly bland expression for an utterly horrendous event in which two 747s, smashed into the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan bringing down not only tons of mortar and bricks but also three thousand innocent human beings. That apocalyptic event piled up a heap of destruction so mountainous that it took a ten-month operation working day and night to haul away 2 million tons of debris, containing 20 thousand body parts. When that horrendous event happened, the late evangelical preacher Jerry Falwell resurrected the revengeful gods of ancient Greece and Rome, as he shook his finger at “pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and People for the American Way,” and in so many words claimed that in the horrific event of 9/11 God was “getting even” with these nefarious sinners! Shame on you, Christian preacher! The Gospel is the Good News that on 9/11 God wasn’t getting even; God was weeping! That’s how Bernie Heeran felt about it. He is a retired firefighter whose son Charlie worked at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center and was killed on that fatal day. Unlike preacher Falwell’s God, Heeran’s God wasn’t getting even on 9/11; his God was weeping! “God had nothing to do with this,” Bernie said. “God was fighting evil that day as He does every day, and He was asking us to join Him in the fight.”

God wept on March 11th 2011

On Friday, March 11th 2011 an insanely massive 8.9 earthquake hit the Northern Coast of Japan at rush hour, causing a huge tsunami. Grim statistics say nearly 8,000 are dead and over 10,000 missing. That brings to mind the even more horrendous tsunami of December 26, 2004, which inundated southeastern Asia, and which ruthlessly swept away 140,000 people! As with the tsunami of March 11th the worst casualties were the living who saw their homes, their loved ones, their lives and their very reason to live swept away. Soon religious clerics were at it again, after the style of Falwell. They were offering age-old and worn-out explanations of why humans suffer. Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar said, “This is an expression of God’s great anger upon a sinful world.” An Islamic imam said, “The disaster is a reminder from Allah that he who created the world can also destroy it.”

Enters a strange new God

Into such a god-awful theological world, where a pay-back god makes sinners suffer, and where a god unsure of himself has to remind people “that he who created the world can also destroy it” – into such a world enters a strange new God of Christians: He causes no one to weep. What’s more, He Himself weeps! He weeps because His very dear friend Lazarus has died, and He weeps also because Martha and Mary are weeping. Mystic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose voice echoed through the deliberation chambers of Vatican II, writes, “It is fully in accord with the Gospel to regard God as a Father weeping across the ages over the sufferings of His children, constantly trying to heal their wounds.” (Divine Milieu)

Conclusion

God was also weeping

We are all hurting people asking questions which hurting people have been asking for generations: What was God doing when I buried my husband? Or when my son was paralyzed? Or when my baby died? Or when the bus overturned? What was God doing when Islamic terrorists brought down the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, and murdered 3000 innocent human beings on 9/11? What was God doing when an 8.9 earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan and swept away 17,000 people on March 11? What was God doing? The answer utterly surprises us, and in some strange mystical way consoles us: God was also weeping!