The Paradox of the Grain of Wheat

Today's Reflections 
          

 

                 

The Paradox of the Grain of Wheat 

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Jn 12:24-26

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ²⁴“Amen, amen, I say to you, 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. ²⁵Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Reflection:

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies. John narrates that some Greeks approached Philip and asked, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). Philip told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip relayed their request to Jesus (cf Jn 12:22).

Jesus responds by speaking about his paschal mystery: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, 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.” Jesus wants the Greeks, and us as well, to see him as the paschal Christ, the Christ who will die and then rise again from the dead to be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

That is how we must regard Jesus, and regarding him thus, we should not hesitate to follow his footsteps, for when we lose our life for his sake, we will find it again, enriched. St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, experienced the truth of this when he died a most cruel death for Christ only to emerge as a glorious martyr.

We die a “thousand deaths”

—to our personal desires, satisfaction, plans

—so we can live for the people we love.