Daily Readings - Sun Mar 21 2021

³¹Behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will form a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah³²not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand, so as to lead them away from the land of Egypt, the covenant which they nullified, though I was the ruler over them, says the Lord³³But this will be the covenant that I will form with the house of Israel, after those days, says the Lord: I will give my law to their inner most being, and I will write it upon their heart. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people³⁴And they will no longer teach, a man his neighbor, and a man his brother, saying: ‘Know the Lord.’ For all will know me, from the littlest of them even to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will no longer remember their sin

Hebrews

Chapter 5

⁷It is Christ who, in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offered prayers and supplications to the One who was able to save him from death, and who was heard because of his reverence⁸And although, certainly, he is the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things that he suffered⁹And having reached his consummation, he was made, for all who are obedient to him, the cause of eternal salvation

John

Chapter 12

²⁰Now there were certain Gentiles among those who went up so that they might worship on the feast day²¹Therefore, these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they petitioned him, saying: "Sir, we want to see Jesus.²²Philip went and told Andrew. Next, Andrew and Philip told Jesus²³But Jesus answered them by saying: "The hour arrives when the Son of man shall be glorified²⁴Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies²⁵it remains alone. But if it dies, it yields much fruit. Whoever loves his life, will lose it. And whoever hates his life in this world, preserves it unto eternal life²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. And where I am, there too my minister shall be. If anyone has served me, my Father will honor him²⁷Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this reason that I came to this hour²⁸Father, glorify your name!" And then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.²⁹Therefore, the crowd, which was standing near and had heard it, said that it was like thunder. Others were saying, "An Angel was speaking with him.³⁰Jesus responded and said: "This voice came, not for my sake, but for your sakes³¹Now is the judgment of the world. Now will the prince of this world be cast out³²And when I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself.³³(Now he said this, signifying what kind of death he would die.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of God’s covenant with humanity and the transformative power of self-giving love. In the first reading from Jeremiah, we hear of a new covenant—one that will be written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of God’s people. This covenant is rooted in forgiveness and intimacy, where all will know the Lord without needing to be taught. It speaks of a deep interior transformation, where God’s law becomes the very fabric of our being. This passage is set in the context of Israel’s history, where the old covenant had been broken, but God promises something new and everlasting. The second reading from Hebrews shifts our focus to Jesus, who as the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering. His prayers and tears demonstrate his humanity, but his ultimate obedience leads to eternal salvation for all. This passage emphasizes that Jesus’ journey of suffering was not in vain; it was the path to glorification and the source of salvation. It reminds us that true leadership and service are rooted in humility and sacrifice. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of his own glorification through death, using the metaphor of the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die to bear fruit. This is a call to radical self-giving, where loving one’s life means losing it for the sake of eternal life. The voice from heaven confirms that Jesus’ mission is to draw all people to himself, and his death on the cross will be the ultimate act of love that overcomes the world. These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jeremiah’s promise of a covenant written on the heart is realized in Jesus, who through his obedience and sacrifice, draws all people to himself. The moral lesson here is clear: true life comes through self-giving love and surrender to God’s will. Just as Jesus had to let go of his life to fulfill his mission, we too are called to let go of our own desires and fears, trusting that in doing so, we will find true life and purpose. May we open our hearts to the transformative power of God’s covenant, embracing the cross as the path to resurrection and eternal life.