Written by Rev’d. Jean-Claudel Wagnac

                                                John 12: 1-8

INTRODUCTION

We are already on the 5th Sunday of Lent.  Lent is coming to an end. Today, Jesus is in Bethany with his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Before going any further, I would like to recall the three main activities of Lent.

THE MAIN ACTIVITIES OF LENT

We officially entered Lent on Ash Wednesday. On this occasion, the liturgy recommends three main activities for this special season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Prayer. Lent is a great time to speak with God our Father. It’s an intense period of prayer where we thank God, we ask him for forgiveness and entrust to him our needs, those of our brothers and sisters and those of the whole world.

Fasting. Lent is also a time of privation. It's a time to make some small sacrifices, such as not eating or drinking. It's not quite the same, but I can cite as an example of fasting our Muslim brothers and sisters who just concluded the month of Ramadan last week.

Almsgiving. Lent is a time to discreetly share with those in need. Indeed, there are too many people in need in our world. We must take advantage of this Lenten season to promote sharing, especially with the poorest.

BIBLICAL TEXTS OF THIS SUNDAY

The Word of God today places us in the line of time: the past, the present, and the future.

Isaiah 43, 16-21. "Do not remember old times, do not think about the past. Here I am going to make a new world: it is already germinating; do not you see it? »V.18-19

Phil 3, 4b-14. My only concern: forgetting what is behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead, I run towards the goal to win the prize at which God calls us up in Christ Jesus. V. 13-14

John 12: 1-8. Mary pours a perfume of great price on the feet of Jesus. Judas complains and thinks it's a waste of money. But this gesture is part of Jesus' trajectory and prefigures his burial.

THE MESSAGE OF THIS SUNDAY

This morning, I would like to extend a triple invitation to you:

An invitation to hope. Obviously, things are going badly in our world and perhaps at home or in our surroundings. As Isaiah said to the people, today I invite you to think no more about the painful past, but to contemplate this new world that the Lord promised us.

An invitation to determination. We are in a fight where we must not give up. As Paul said to the Philippians, today I invite you to forget what is behind, but as an athlete to look forward to winning the prize God reserved for us.

An invitation to commitment. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of others. As Mary did for Jesus in the Gospel, today I invite you and me to pour on our brothers and sisters the fragrance of our love, our forgiveness and our charity.

CONCLUSION

Let's ask the Lord for the strength to live every day with hope, determination and commitment. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen