Lenten Check-Up before Passion Sunday

One thing that characterized Lent is to experience the tension between God’s wrath and God’s mercy in the deuteronomic cycle of our sinfulness, God’s judgement, reconciliation. Ever since we were evicted from Eden, our relationship with God has been a cyclical rollercoaster of our sins, God’s judgement, and reconciliation. This is like being stuck in what Buddhism teaches as the Samsara.

When we started Lent with Ash Wednesday, we were made aware of our own sinfulness and need to reconcile with God. Then, we have been reminded of the cyclical pattern of our sinfulness, which triggers God’s wrath in judgement. Coming out of penance, we reconcile with God and start over with a clean heart, vowing not to sin any more.

Not to sin? No more sin? Not to bring about God’s wrath anymore? It’s easier said than done, isn’t it?

We go to confess our sins, receiving the benefit of absolution, and reconcile with God. That is what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is about. However, don’t we find ourselves confessing the same sin over and over? Don’t make God tired of forgiving us? But, why can’t we just stop sinning upon judgement and reconciliation? Does it mean that our penance is not sincere?

One important theme of the Liturgy of the Word for the 5^th Sunday of Lent on Cycle B is a new covenant, after so many previous covenants that failed due to our repetitive or cyclical sinfulness. This was reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Then, the Second Reading (Hebrews 5:7-9) alludes to the fact that the Son of God, who came to this world in the human flesh of Jesus, was made the scapegoat, because of our inabilities to take up the due responsibilities for our own sins. Remember, we keep the same behavioral patter of Adam and Eve, all of whom blame another, rather than taking responsibilities for their own sins (Genesis 3:6-13). Ever since the time of Adam and Eve, we are saying, “It’s his/her fault!”, rather than saying, “I’m really sorry. I was careless…I should have been more careful…Help me, Lord, so that I won’t make this mistake any more”. When we say, “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” for the Penitential Rite at Mass, we should mean it. These words are not just to be said but really meant to be meant sincerely. Otherwise, they would be empty blah, blah, blah….unpleasing noise to the Lord.

We put all our sins on Jesus the Christ, as the scapegoat – so that we won’t face the judgement. In doing so, we are even bold enough to juxtapose this to Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1-13), though it is also Yom Kippur Scapegoat (Leviticus 16:1-34).

As we have one more Sunday in this Lent, which is Passion Sunday, a.k.a. Palm Sunday. In other words, there are not many day left for this Lent. Therefore, we really need to get very serious about changing our behavior by changing our heart. For this reason, we really mean in citing Psalm 51 for responsorial Psalm on the 5^th Sunday of Lent, singing, “Create a clean heart in me, O God”. We need to cry out to the Lord for our clean heart. This way, we won’t make Christ being a grain of wheat to die in order to bring abundant fruits (John 12:24), as read and reflected in the Gospel Reading (John 12:20-33) for the 5^th Sunday of Lent on Cycle B.

Let us make sure that we do not make a grain of wheat fall and die for nothing. It is our clean heart that makes the Paschal Mystery meaningful to our salvation.