WORTH RISING FOR

5th Sunday of Lent
Jn 12:20-33

A great hero once said, “The Filipino is worth dying for.” He was very much convinced of his words that Senator Benigno Aquino gave his life so that we may be free again. Is the Filipino really worth dying for?

A greater hero, the greatest of them all in fact, showed us that we are not only worth dying for. Jesus Christ died for us and rose to life again. For Jesus, we are worth rising for. Are we really worth rising for?

Anyone, from the bounty of his love for us, may die for us. But no one, despite the abundance of his love for us, can rise to life again for us. Only Jesus, always Jesus.

The question of whether you and I are worth dying for is totally immaterial for Jesus. Worthy or unworthy we are, still He died for us. The question of whether you and I are worth rising for is totally trivial for Jesus. Worthy or unworthy we are, still He rose to life for us.

As the week that is called holy approaches, let us stay with Jesus who makes the week holy. It is Jesus, not us, who makes the Holy Week holy. Apart from Him, the Holy Week can be anything except holy. Without Him, there is no Holy Week.

With whom will you spend the Holy Week? Let it be with Jesus. Where will you spend your Holy Week? Let it be in silence, in prayer and in reflection. How will you spend your Holy Week? Let it be holy and loving.

As Holy Week approaches, consider first what Jesus did for you before planning what you can do for Jesus. When Holy Week comes, give more than enough time to reflective silence before engaging in any active charity. After Holy Week, your week that is most holy ends but your life that should really be holy must proceed.

Do not think that because it is Holy Week, we need to pray more. No, we need to pray better instead. Do not think that because it is Holy Week, we must sacrifice more. No, we must sacrifice better instead. Do not think that because it is Holy Week, charity obliges us to give more. No, charity obliges us give better instead. It is “the better” that counts more and not “the more” that means better. For if we want to thank Jesus for His love for us, we need not be more; instead, we need to be better persons.
To be better persons, we must be true disciples of Jesus. Jesus tells us that, as His disciples, we should be where He is. And where is Jesus? Jesus is in the Most Blessed Eucharist. Gather in the Eucharist. Jesus is in communities nourished by His Word. Celebrate the Word with your community. Jesus is in the poorest of the poor. Serve the poor as if it is Jesus whom you serve.

In the Holy Eucharist, we break bread. With our communities, we eat bread. To the poor, we become bread…offered and broken for the life of the many.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Let us fall to the earth; let us be humble. Let us die on the earth; let us live for Jesus. Let us bear much fruit; let us live as Jesus lived.

It is better to die a meaningless death rather than live a meaningless life. But it is best to die a meaningful death after living a meaningful life. In life and in death, in dying and in rising to life again, we are the Lord’s.

We are worth dying for. We are worth rising for. It is Jesus who makes us worthy. Let us die with Jesus. But let us not forget to rise with Him, too.