The Hour Has Come

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the focus is now definitely on the Passion as we listen to the events and speeches that led to the capture, condemnation, scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. He tell his disciples, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (Jn 12: 23). We are always looking at our watches, our calendars, with so much to do, we can't seem to get along without them to help us keep track of commitments and up-coming events. Rarely can we focus on the NOW. St. Francis de Sales in his Introduction to the Devout Life, writes with a smile, "We are often in the condition of those who long for fresh cherries in autumn and for fresh grapes in spring." So true.
Jesus, however, knew clearly it was his hour, the time had come for the grain of wheat to be placed into the soil, die, and bring forth new life. This is why he was born, this is what he prepared his disciples and followers for. The purple draped statues in our churches today bring this home very starkly. This is the hour for us to give the last two weeks of Lent a shift from the project of renewing ourselves to uniting ourselves in thought and action (our fasting, prayer and almsgiving) to the last days of Jesus' active ministry and his passion and death. What was HE going through in thought and action these days? Can we deepen our understanding of his suffering, physical and emotional, even spiritual as he feels reluctant to complete his mission and abandoned, totally emptied, that hour in the garden and on the cross? Yes, the hour has come for us to look at and be with Jesus. What can we, do we, want to say to him?
Bro. Rene