5th Sunday of Lent, B

The new law

John 12:20-33

In the last Sunday of Lent before Palm Sunday, we hear in the Old Testament about a new law which would be written in the very hearts of men and women, where people don't have to teach or remind one another about this because God's fullest presence and forgiveness dwell.

This law is Jesus himself; totally the incarnated Word of God who pleased the Father and through his very own life, we are led to the Father.  Thus, the law is not something external to guide people's way of life.  Rather, this law is written in the very hearts of people in their very person, Jesus dwells.

For me, this is the very picture of heaven itself.  We don't have to die to realize where we are going. Either we have incarnated heaven itself or we don't.  We have to make every effort to make our lives the living picture of heaven where we are totally one with Jesus.

Second, we are totally one with others.  Their hurts become our own; and in experiencing the hurt we experience every effort to heal the other and ourselves.  Just as Jesus underwent his passion, death, and resurrection, the mystery of redemption becomes our own, giving us the strength to go through our own passion, death, and resurrection where Christ is the fullest meaning of our lives and to offer our lives for the sake of others.  Then we can experience Jesus drawing everyone to himself.

Let this be our guidepost as we now enter Holy Week.  From then on, the new law is ingrained in our hearts.