5th Sunday of Lent, Mar. 25, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
Gospel: John 12:20-33 “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone.”
(Full sermon text) The reading for this Sunday reveals to us that the Church is preparing herself for the entrance into the Paschal Mystery. Jesus sets his sights on Jerusalem. He knows that the time is short as He draws ever closer to making the ultimate sacrifice on Calvary. Our Lord is deeply troubled at the thought of it. Jesus tries to get his disciples to understand that their understanding of the coming kingdom is not correct. Earthly glory does not await Jesus. The Father will be glorified in his Son, but not in the way that the disciples expect.
The drinking water is good, and so is the river of lifeTamil Nadu, in the very southern tip of India, is a poor area. But since it’s near the River Cauvery, the drinking water is good. The three Mercedarian religious friars seem to be happy, Fr. Vincent reports, even though they are sleeping in rather poor quarters in the older of the two chapels.
Ninety Catholic families of good tradition live under the Mercedarians’ care here. The Faith has taken root. Go to the friars’ website and read the entire story, “.”
Is God calling you to become a Mercedarian friar? Visit Fr. Joseph Eddy’s page.
To explain things to His disciples, Jesus uses the analogy of the “grain of wheat.” The society that Jesus lived in was very much an agrarian culture. Every person would have had an understanding of how seeds turn into crops. For many of us living in a country with mass produced food, the analogy may not be as helpful.
Many “deaths”
We can, however, understand that in the human condition it is necessary to undergo many “deaths” in order to progress as a person. At each stage of life, certain aspects come to an end, while other new ones begin. Birth is one of the most traumatic “deaths.” We go from the safety of the womb into a new world. Going from adolescence to adulthood is another difficult “death.” These teenage years can be very challenging and even painful as the youth learns how to use their freedom properly. They begin the process of separating themselves from their parents and learning how to live on their own, making their own choices. It is necessary to go through what has been called “growing pains.” These struggles are not just physical, but also psychological, emotional, and spiritual. Young people at times will make bad choices, but hopeful these are minor and don’t affect their future lives. It is critical at this stage that parents are present as guides and have helped them develop virtues or good habits, which are the foundations of good living. It is necessary to give teens the right amount of structure and freedom to help them progress into healthy adults.
As our Holy Father, Benedict XVI says, “freedom is a delicate value.” It must be based on objective truth. “…what purpose has a ‘freedom’ which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong?” We all must learn what real freedom is if we are going to be responsible citizens and true Christians. Many times it is painful to learn what true freedom is. Mistakes and sins (ourselves and others) lead us to have to carry the burden or the consequences of a wrong use of freedom.
Thank God we are given the grace-filled season of Lent to attempt to master our passions and bad habits so as to make good use of our freedom. Fasting, an ancient practice of Christianity is central to our Lenten observances. It is defined as giving up something or making a sacrifice to God for a definite purpose. Fasting should lead us to focus more of our energy or time on God and others. It can also express sorrow for past sins, teach us that we do not need things or food to be happy, learn self discipline, and/or express our solidarity with the poor. Most times people focus their fasting on food, but we can also step back from such things as TV, internet, alcohol, or shopping. Like Jesus, we too can “learn obedience” from what we go through. Fasting can help us to avoid the effects of sin in this life and in the next.
March 30 day of fasting
This Friday, March 30rd, some American Bishops have designated as a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer for religious freedom in our nation. It is a response to what our Holy Father has called “unprecedented attacks on religious freedom” in our nation. The Mandate required by our government would force Catholic institutions to pay for abortion inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilizations. As Archbishop Chaput has stated, the heart of the issue is not contraception, but the freedom of the conscience that the Constitution guarantees us. The Church’s position on artificial contraception is clear and will not change, but the Mandate opens the door to violations of religious freedom unheard of in our nation’s history. It is our right as Americans to follow our conscience and not be forced in any way to compromise our belief by doing what we feel is immoral or wrong. This is why Protestants, Muslims, and Jews have stepped forward saying “on this issue we are all Catholic.”
If we allow this Mandate to happen it would be a major blow to Religious Freedom for all peoples. We have freedom to seek objective truth. The Constitution and Bill of Rights were formed “to enable us to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Many of our ancestors came to this country seeking religious freedom. States such as Pennsylvania became safe havens for all to live as their conscience told them to. No government has a right to tell Christians how to live their faith. The government’s job is to ensure that we can live our values and seek true freedom.
The Church cannot back down
The Church cannot back down on such an essential issue as freedom of conscience. The Bishops have asked us to join them in prayer and fasting this Friday that hearts may be changed and religious freedom may be protected. We fast or die to self in order to realize that God is the ultimate authority who gave each human being free will. Even God will not violate our freedom. He respects each person’s freedom, while giving us grace to develop a truly Christian conscience. Let us join with our whole Church in fasting and prayer that future generations of Catholics may always have the freedom to do what they believe is morally right and good. May God continue to bless our nation and ensure that all peoples find in it a safe place to seek what is true, beautiful, and good!