(Further) Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons 17 March 2024

Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: Lamb at the foot of the Cross, flanked by two angels. Image public domain.

Year B readings ( Not the Scrutiny which is Year A as my original text )

A partial apology!!

An extra reflection, thanks to a kind person who sent a message to say that I was stuck on year A, which is partly true, but only if you are not doing the Scrutinies, for if you are my reflection of Lazarus is still apposite, as it will be for our Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholics who celebrate this event on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. But I am not excusing myself, one of the problems of writing a weekly reflection is that one never knows what one can do to meet the requests of those who want me to write this or that.

All good comments, are welcome, but as I get older I find my gratitude wears slightly thin when it's a simple gripe, and like the late Cardinal John Carmel Heenan, if any messages sent haven't a name on them then they are ignored! But thank you to those who pointed out my slight disservice to Year B readings, valid comment except for those celebrating the Scrutinies where Year A applies. As a gift to mend fences here is a short reflection on the text for Year B.

For those that asked: Abouna Robert (Canon Robin Gibbons) is a Greek- Catholic Priest and an ecumenical canon of All Saints Cathedral and Diocese Alberta and Christchurch Cathedral Oxford. I was ordained on March 31st 1979.

Reflection on Year B

Gospel John 12: 20-3

The glorification of Jesus is also an acceptance of his suffering and death

Our readings lead us to Christ's commandment of service for our world.

It is this chosen portion from the gospel of John(Chapter 12) in this Sundays gospel, that places before us in direct and stark language not only the whole purpose of the ministry and mission of Jesus, but also the model or pattern of what our own Christian way of life must be! Our first and second readings prepare the way for that challenge by Jesus to each and every one of us. The first reading from Jeremiah gives us a clear contest in the Covenantal promises of the God of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and ourselves. Jeremiah calls the People of Israel to return to God, to allow the Holy One to write the `Law in their hearts and be their God: 'I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer 31:33) But there is to be no distinction between anybody, all, the least and the greatest are called to live in this love.

Yet, as happens all the time, humanity keeps to itself that bit of the fruit of the tree of good and evil in our hearts, and so oft times does the exact opposite of what the commandments of love ask of us, and in our sinfulness breaks Covenant with a God who cannot break it with us, for God is Truth. Our short passage from the letter to the Hebrews sets out the context of what Jesus did and continues to do, for in that gift of prayer, tears and entreaty, he desires that we too as He, become the messengers and reconciling priests of the Most High in our human world.

The psalm in its own way takes us out into a desert of repentance to see what we have done and need to do and in its soulfulness takes us to the door of the gospel.

The Gospel calls us to metanoia with Christ.

Might we start with these key words of Jesus as he speaks to Philip and Andrew. ' Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honour whoever serves me. (Jn 12: 23-26)

Each phrase of this quote needs our deep attention. I shall leave it to you to perhaps use this as a reflective lectio divina for the week. Certainly those of you who honour Patrick Enlightener of Ireland this day( 17th of March) might well see in his life, exile from his homeland in North Britain, a slow adoption of the place he at first disliked intensely and then leanred to love the people of the Land he evangelised. Patrick is still a shadowy character in many ways, but it is his fidelity to Christ that shines out , his dying to self that still produces a faith, and the sure and certain hope, that he with his master the Christ, intercedes for us all. Isn't that too our destiny if we can but accept it?

Losing and gaining, the balance of human existence.

Those of us who are getting older will know the necessary stripping away of what we took for granted when we were young. We lose so many things in life, youth passes into age, health factors take over the mechanics of the human body as it wears down. We retire because we need to shift into a simpler manner of life, perhaps let younger people take over our work, and then step back to let them get on with things we once did ourselves. Then there is that dreadful loss of death, our friends, relatives, and of course for many of us our animals. And let us not forget our own destruction of the habitat of this Earth, a loss that will cause more pain for the generations yet to come-and always our selfish belligerence, aggression, jealousy and desires for power.! This is the grief of living, but it must not define us. Here in this message and in the lifting up of Jesus, the cross becomes the key of glory, the tomb becomes the open door of eternal life.

The hope we have.

Our great medieval mystic Lady Julian of Norwich was bidden by a vision of Christ to write down many things amongst which is this famous and powerful message: '"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well", a profound theology showing that God can draw love and good even out of what is evil. To die to self and lose many things is our portion in life, but it is not the end, in so many ways life is ever about us, that life and light given us in Christ by the Spirit. That is our task, to bring joy, to become the living beatitudes in this world. May our journey towards the great feasts of Christ's passion, death and resurrection, renew in us that hope. Amen

Lectio

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;

in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.

Thoroughly wash away my guilt;

and from my sin cleanse me.

For I know my transgressions;

my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in your eyes

So that you are just in your word,

and without reproach in your judgment.

Behold, I was born in guilt,

in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, you desire true sincerity;

and secretly you teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

You will let me hear gladness and joy;

the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn away your face from my sins;

blot out all my iniquities.

A clean heart create for me, God;

renew within me a steadfast spirit.

Do not drive me from before your face,

nor take from me your holy spirit.

Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;

uphold me with a willing spirit.

I will teach the wicked your ways,

that sinners may return to you.

Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,

and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.

Lord, you will open my lips;

and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it;

a burnt offering you would not accept.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;

a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.

Julian of Norwich

From the time these things were first revealed I had often wanted to know what was our Lord's meaning. It was more than fifteen years after that I was answered in my spirit's understanding. "You would know our Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well. Love was His meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did He show you? Love. Why did He show it? For love. Hold on to this and you will know and understand love more and more. But you will not know or learn anything else - ever."

Revelations of Divine Love