A NEW CHANGE AND NEW PHASE OF LIFE

(5^th Sunday of Lent 2021 - Homily)

“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,” (John 12: 24).

 

On the ordination to the priesthood day, there is one part of the rite of the ordination, where the ordinand needs to be in a prostrate gesture (lying face on the ground) on the sanctuary of the Church just before the Bishop lays hands on him to be ordained. The prostration is signifying as a symbol of death - a death to self and to give a rebirth to priestly service.

 

I will never forget myself lying on the ground in 2003 on the Church sanctuary on my own priestly ordination. As for me, after 18 years in the priesthood, I am still germinating or growing, in another word to say that I am still experiencing God’s love and his life in me and it is coming to alive in me as I keep sprouting. The more I am involved in my ministry and expose myself in various areas and people, the more I am like a seed that fall on the ground and produces fruits. Jesus wrote this word on my heart - “To Live a Life of Love - when I prostrate on the ground of the sanctuary and I feel this word or seed is nurturing in my priestly life.

 

“Anyone who loves his life, loses it; and anyone who hates his life in this world keep it for eternal life,”(John 12: 25). Jesus goes on to say that only those die or lose his life through humiliation, suffering, and death to ourselves will experience new life, and life eternal. And only those who let change and transformation come into their lives especially during this Lent, will ultimately experience a new meaning in life which opens a new opportunity for growth and maturity in faith.

 

It is now already 5 weeks into this season of Lent. We may still experience our spiritual life dry and empty. We may attempt to sprout ourselves a few times from this barrenness and dryness in our faith life. There are no changes in our behaviours and attitudes. They remain unpleasant behaviours which they have become hinderances and stumbling blocks for our personal growth to be more like Jesus. We need to challenge ourselves to go through these difficult times of our lives in order to see the new life, new change and new phase of life to emerge in our spiritual life.