Homily Cycle B 3/21/2021

 

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032121-YearB.cfm

 

God made 7 covenants with the Israelites, [6 through the house of Israel and the house of Judah] in the Old Testament and 1 the New Testament.  Today’s first reading from Jeremiah is the 6^th covenant that God made.  Jeremiah tells us that the Lord said, “I will place my law within your them and write it upon their hearts; I will be there God, and they will be my people.”

 

Our Responsorial Psalm echoes God’s Call to us to turn to Him for mercy and allow God’s grace to Create a clean heart in [us].

 

In 2001 Rolf Lovland, a Norwegian composer wrote the lyrics to “You Raise Me Up” beautiful and powerful song made famous by Josh Groban.  It was, also, the theme song in the movie “The Lion King”.  One of its stanzas is “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas

I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders

You raise me up … To more than I can be.”

 

Beautiful and Powerful this song points to God, however, the last part of that stanza should be changed to “You raise me up … To be All that I can be.”  What is All that we can be, people living their image and likeness of God as disciples of Jesus Christ building His Kingdom by our lives.  Allowing the Light of God to shine through our lives.

 

I our second reading we learned that Jesus is “… the source of eternal salvation …” – the Source of Eternal Life.  And today’s Gospel challenges us with a unique and profound request by the Greeks; “…we would like to see Jesus.”  They don’t want to look at Jesus, they want to meet Him to ascertain whether to believe in Him or not.

 

Today’s Gospel Verse provides us with an important insight to reflect upon during Lent.  “Whoever serves me must follow me, says the Lord; and where I am, there also will my servant be.”  Do you consider yourself a “servant of the Lord”?

Do you think it is a great privilege to be a servant of the Lord?  If not, why not?  If yes, why so?

 

We are called to give our entire being to God, for God’s Kingdom.  Our Entrance hymn this morning was “I am the Bread of Life”, Jesus is the Bread of Life, we need Jesus to be satisfied.  Being the Lord’s Servant is a great privilege, a blessed calling.

 

The Lord’s Covenant of “Love and Forgiveness is the key to our temporal & our eternal joy.  Jesus tells Andrew, Philip and possibly the Greeks visitors true glory lies in loving God.  By dying to our selfishness, like the grain of wheat that dies to produce much fruit, we will produce much fruit for the Kingdom.  When we accept the Covenant of Jesus, the Covenant of “Love and Forgiveness” as our guiding principal in life, we become Servants of God.

 

I suggest that for the remainder of Lent [and the rest of our life here on earth] we commit to live, breathe and love the Sign of the Cross.

“In the name of the Father [God creator of the universe],

and of the Son [Jesus, my Lord & Savior],

and of the Holy Spirit [Breath of Life, guide me.]

Amen. [I will it Lord].

 

The Sign of the Cross should remind us of our commitment to the Lord’s Covenant.  If we do that Jesus will Raise us up to be all that we can be a loving and forgiving daughter or son of God, and that will make our world a better place.

 

 

 

For a few minutes, in silence, reflect on being the Lord's servant and the Sign of the Cross.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Praised.