GOSPEL
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. These approached Philip, who came from Bethsaida in Galilee, and put this request to him, ‘Sir, we should like to see Jesus.’ Philip went to tell Andrew, and Andrew and Philip together went to tell Jesus. Jesus replied to them:
‘Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
Now my soul is troubled.
What shall I say:
Father, save me from this hour?
But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!’
A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ People standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, ‘It was an angel speaking to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not for my sake that this voice came, but for yours.
‘Now sentence is being passed on this world;
now the prince of this world is to be overthrown.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I shall draw all men to myself.’
By these words he indicated the kind of death he would die.
(John 12:20–33)
DID YOU KNOW?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- In the gospels, Jesus often refers to himself as the Son of Man, a mysterious expression that both reveals and conceals his identity. It is a term that comes from the Book of Daniel.
- The festival referred to here was the Passover (John 12:1). Observant Jews who were able to came from far and wide to celebrate this great festival at the temple in Jerusalem. The city was overflowing with pilgrims from many lands and regions.
- Often, people stayed outside the city because accommodation was very stretched at the times of the pilgrimage festivals. They came into the city each day to celebrate and then returned outside the walls to sleep, either in a nearby village or, often, under the stars.
- This is exactly what Jesus did on his final Passover visit to Jerusalem. After celebrating the meal, he was returning to Bethany where his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. On the way, he stopped to pray at the Garden of Gethsemane and there accepted his fate.
- The Passover is just one of the three great pilgrimage festivals of Judaism.
EXPLORING THE WORD
The Greeks referred to in this text are likely to have been ‘God-fearers’ or non-Jewish people who are attracted to Judaism as a religion. Not being born Jews, they are unable to fully become part of the chosen people of Israel and to enter into its religious life. Here, though, they express their wish to ‘see Jesus’. The classic call to discipleship is ‘Come and see’. There is an element here that builds on earlier references in John to the fact that the gospel is not just for the Jews but for all people who express faith. The call of the gospel is universal. The imminent death of the grain is already beginning to yield a rich harvest. Jesus is well aware of the fate in store for him but accepts that this is the central act of his mission. Glorification and exultation await him. It is in being lifted up that Jesus will draw all people to himself.
- In what ways do you feel drawn to Jesus at this point in your journey?
- Reflect back on what caused you to say, ‘Sir, I would like to see Jesus.’ What called you to discipleship?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- What might have to ‘die’ in you in order for something new to take root and grow?
- How do you understand the call to be a servant to others?
- Make choices for the benefit of others this week. Die to yourself a little.
- Reflect a little on your own experiences of death—not necessarily a physical death but a time of loss, abandonment or failure. How did you respond to this? Can you see now that ‘life’ came from this experience? Share your reflections together.
- Repeat this prayer often this week:
Lord, may I die to myself in Jesus so that through him
I may have new life.
SHARING THE TRADITION
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
Death is a part of life and humans are the only ones of God’s creatures who live much of their lives knowing they will die. But for Christians, death holds no fear.
‘Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning … What is essentially new about Christian death is this: through Baptism, the Christian has already “died with Christ” sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if we die in Christ’s grace, physical death completes this “dying with Christ” and so completes our incorporation into him in his redeeming act.’ (CCC, §1010).
- You could invite participants to share some of their experiences of the death of friends or loved ones.
- Often the death of someone close has a profound effect on our own personal lives in a way that can be transforming. Explore this idea.
- You could look at some of the prayers from the funeral liturgy and examine the positive and hope-filled nature of the Christian understanding of death.
- You could explore the Church’s teaching on the resurrection of the body at the end of times.
SYMBOLS AND IMAGES
‘Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’ John uses the term ‘the hour’ to refer to the salvific death and exultation of Jesus. For the first time, in this story, Jesus proclaims that his hour has come. His death is imminent.
LIVING THE WORD
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- Does your community provide special occasions to remember those who have died—for example, through November? How are the feasts of All Saints and All Souls celebrated? You could discuss the meanings of these feasts.
- You could use some ears of wheat or a bowl of grain as part of your prayer focus. Allow time for the elect to pray for loved ones who have died. Pray for each other as you are about to ‘die with Christ’. Sing ‘Unless a grain of wheat’
(GA 500). Conclude with the prayer over the elect in RCIA at §122A.