Get Cracking!

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, March 17th, 2024:
Fifth Sunday of Lent

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John
12.20-33

​Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The person who loves their life loses it, and the person who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An Angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
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Pause. Pray. Reflect.

 “You can’t continue to be a good egg.  You must crack or go bad.”  

I’m not sure who said these words, but I came across this saying many years ago. It stuck with me because it’s true. An egg can’t continue to just be an egg. Something has to happen to it. It must become a baby chick, or – if unfertilized – be used, otherwise the egg will literally go bad. It will spoil. If it doesn’t crack to be born or used, it hasn’t lived up to its potential. It was made for a purpose, and how very sad it is when it can’t live its purpose. 

The same can be said for us humans.  On a physical, mental, spiritual level, if I stay where I am, doing the same thing day after day, then I will crack or “go bad.” Maybe not literally – at least I hope not! The point is that I need to find ways to grow and change and transform so I can be who God calls me to be.  I’m not living up to my potential, nor the purpose that God created me for, if I don’t “crack,” even just a little bit, so that God can enter and transform my heart. Yet, all too often I want to enclose my heart in a little bubble,  to stay where I am because it’s familiar. It’s easy. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. However, we were not made for comfort but for greatness. At least, that’s what the late Pope Benedict was quoted as telling us. But what if I don’t want to be great? There is a huge responsibility in being great. If I’m great, then people will look to me for direction.  If I am great, people will have expectations of me. If I am great, people might (gasp!) glorify me. 

Wait a minute. It’s not about me. Jesus reminds us in this passage from John’s Gospel that the glory is the Father’s. When Jesus says it’s His time to be glorified, it is not so that the human Jesus will be lauded for His miracles, healings, and teachings. Rather, everything points to the Father. After all, where did that greatness come from? It came from God the Father. The greatness I am capable of is not for me, but rather for the One who created me. In striving to live the greatness God gifted me, I am responding to the transformative power of His Love that changes me, challenges me, and ultimately creates me anew each day – if I open my heart to Him. 

God gave me so many gifts to use to fulfill my purpose. A purpose He chose, specifically for me. How could I not give God glory for that? And if I don’t seek to fulfill that purpose – even when it’s hard to do – then like a good egg that doesn’t crack, I’ll go bad.  So I’d better get cracking! 




Aurea Sadi

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