Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the season in the Church’s year when we prepare for the events of Holy Week and Good Friday. It is a season for reflection and penitence. Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to call to mind how Jesus prepared his followers for his death on Good Friday.
Like them, we need to approach Good Friday and the death of Jesus in confidence of the resurrection. In this passage from John’s Gospel (that follows immediately after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey) Jesus offers the model of the grain of wheat being buried in the earth and dying before growing into new life.
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of seeds. In today’s picture from his book Water, Aled is taking care of the seeds that he has planted, and making sure that they have enough water to germinate. He has a picture too to remind him of what will grow from the seeds he has planted.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you suffered death
to bring new life to the world.
Bring us to new life in you,
that we may live to your praise and glory.
now and always.
Amen.
Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, focuses our attention on Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is processional banners. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources
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Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Fourth Sunday of Lent