The Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B. (episode 469)

The Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B. (episode 469)

Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 57457411  - Crucifixion of Jesus Christ during sunset Photo Contributor -MaxFX /  and  also combined - Stock Photo ID: 582484588   - Priest celebrate mass at the church - Photo Contributor – wideonet

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B. –

Readings for Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B. (episode 469)
FIRST READING: Jer 31: 31-34
Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15. "Create a clean heart in me, O God. "
SECOND READING: Heb 5: 7-9
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 12: 26). Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve me, follow me, says the Lord. And where I am, my servant will also be.
GOSPEL: John 12: 20-33
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.  - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-the-fifth-sunday-of-lent-year-b-episode-469/s-0tEbtAjb6oc   (episode 469)
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Our Lenten journey towards Holy Week and beyond is nearing its end.

At the Heart of the readings today – and in fact, at the core of the Journey of Our Lord, through his passion and death and his resurrection, and central to the whole gospel of Jesus is this: 
"loving, sacrificing, service." Divine love, which forgets itself and gives absolutely everything, without reserve, for the benefit of the beloved. This saves us. Christ invites us to join him on this path. It is the path of life.

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In today's gospel, the Greeks ask to 'see Jesus'. They were foreigners and had heard about Jesus, and were curious to meet him…. but the reply they get is unexpected….. "Do you want to see Jesus???" well, unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains a single grain…. but if it dies… it produces a rich harvest…
 
We are asking the same thing….. let us see Jesus…. And Jesus gives us a cryptic reply too….. If you want to see me…. I am to be found in the suffering…. in the broken….. in the act of self-sacrificing service…..in self-emptying love……
 
Also, why does the appearance of "some Greeks," (foreigners, Gentiles most likely), asking to see Jesus, signal that the hour has come and that the Son of Man will be handed over and lifted up?  Probably because the message of Jesus has now reached the ears of foreigners and people outside of the tight-knit circle of the Jewish community...   It is now inevitable that all nations have begun to hear of his message and that this kind of attention will most certainly lead to his arrest and crucifixion.  The hour has indeed come!    

The opening prayer for this weekend is revealing. It picks up on the theme of "loving, sacrificing, service."

Today…"may we walk eagerly in that same charity (THAT SAME LOVE) with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death."
 
WE ARE ASKING THE LORD TO Change our selfishness into self-giving. //


Help us, Lord,  to embrace the world you have given us, that (through your grace) we may help transform the darkness of its pain into life and joy of Easter.
 
How difficult it can be to die to one's selfishness so that others might benefit..... to make the difficult step... to sacrifice oneself of one's own self-interests for the good of others... it can be the hardest thing in the world...... but it is the way of Christ.. the way of the Cross, but also the way of the fullness of life and grace...

One of the greatest gifts that can be given to this tired world we live in…. if the gift of unselfishness…. or self-giving…… or generosity and love…. where so many others keep asking 'what's in it for me' what's it worth???
 
Our following of Jesus has a cost, but it is not suffering for the sake of suffering. Rather, it is suffering because of what we believe in. It is suffering because we are living the values of Jesus. Jesus gives us an example of how we can react when faced with the cost of our values: 'Father… should I say, save me from this hour….but no…. for this is why I came……'
 
To live a life of service, love, self-forgetting and self-giving; this is why Jesus came! This is why we follow him.
 
In these dying days of Lent… let us ask God to kindle in us all a deeper charity, a deeper, unselfish love…… to live the values of "service, self-emptying and compassion no matter what the cost"…. knowing the cost… and trusting that Jesus went before us in this and all things….
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References:

Homily - Fr Paul W. Kelly

PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED. BY FR. RICHARD LEONARD.S.J.,

SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAY LITURGIES. YEAR B. FLOR MCCARTHY S.D.B.,  

·SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ}.
 
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image:  photo ID:1901084980-  Jesus teaches from a boat on the sea of Galilee, in front of a large crowd- By Annalisa Jones }


Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.   (episode 469)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{Goodness and kindness  to you all}} welcome, everyone. we gather -  To Pray, listen and reflect upon God and God's Kingdom.

As one family in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by calling to mind our sins. 

Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy

You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy

You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: Lord, have mercy

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15. "Create a clean heart in me, O God. "

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 12: 26). Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve me, follow me, says the Lord. And where I am, my servant will also be.
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PREFACE: Lent I 
Eucharistic Prayer of Reco II

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{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week. }

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy"  inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

[ Production -  KER -  2024]

May God bless and keep you.
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