and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went to Andrew, and the two of them told
Jesus. Then Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, I say to
you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it
produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in
this world save it even to everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me; and
wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Now my soul is in distress. Shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But, to face all this,
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.” People standing there heard something and said it was
thunder; but others said, “An angel was speaking to him.” Then Jesus declared, “This voice
did not come for my sake but for yours. Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the
prince of this world is to be cast down. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all
people to myself.” With these words Jesus referred to the kind of death he was to die.
READ: Some Greeks came to Jerusalem. They expressed to Philip their desire to see Jesus.
Philip went to Andrew and both of them came to Jesus to tell him about the request. Jesus told
them that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified. He taught them that when a
grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces fruits. Jesus challenges his servants to
bear fruits. Jesus prayed, expressing that the Father’s name be glorified. The Father answered
Jesus’ prayer. Jesus said that the world is already sentenced. He explained that when he is
lifted up from the earth, he will draw all people to himself.
REFLECT: In John’s Gospel, Philip and Andrew are presented to be instruments by whom
others are led to Jesus. Today’s Gospel narrates how some Greeks are introduced to Jesus
through them. Jesus particular teaching in today’s Gospel emphasizes the importance of dying
to oneself so that others might be drawn nearer to the Father. As Jesus’ followers, it is always
part of our mission to reach out to others so that they will be drawn nearer to Jesus. In the end,
when we reach out to others, Jesus is reaching out to them together with us.
PRAY: Let us pray that, together with Jesus, we may reach out to others even if it entails dying
to ourselves.
ACT: Let us think of one person whom we have not talked to for a long time and reach out
to this person.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2024