Tuesday in Holy Week. John 12,23-50

Antiphon (Psalm 42,5-6a) 

℣  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are  you in turmoil within me?

℟  Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.

Holy Gospel

»And Jesus answered them: “The hour has arrived for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have arrived at this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your Name.” Then a Voice spoke from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said; “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered: “This Voice has spoken for your sake, not Mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered Him: “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them: “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”

When Jesus had said these things, He departed and hid Himself from them. 37 Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

O LORD, who has believed what he heard from us,

    and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said:

4 

He has blinded their eyes

    and hardened their heart,

lest they see with their eyes,

    and understand with their heart, and turn,

    and I would heal them.

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

44 And Jesus cried out and said: “Whoever believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And whoever sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have entered into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told Me.”« (John 12,23-50). 

You may also wish to read Mark 14,1 - 15,47 for a more fuller account of Holy Week.

Homily 

700 years before Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah wrote about Jesus' glory. This is one reason why the Church often refers to the Prophet Isaiah as the Fifth Evangelist, for he speaks so clearly and prophetically about the Christ and the gospel He brings. 

In this discourse of Jesus, we see that He and His Heavenly Father are of one will. There is no dissension. The Father has sent His Son, and His Son speaks the mind of His Father. To believe in Jesus as the Messiah and the Christ is to believe in God the Father. 

The Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) speak of and point to Christ Jesus. To reject Jesus is to likewise reject Moses, the Prophets and all their writings. The hour of Christ's glory is fast approaching, and it is His journey to, and passion on, the cross. 

Antiphon

℣ O God, be not far from me;

℟ O my God, make haste to help me!  

Collect of the Day

O Almighty and Everlasting God, grant us by Your grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord's passion so that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.  Amen.