Fifth Sunday of Lent
Growing up, my family played a lot of board games, one of the most frequented ones being the game of Life. My siblings and I loved the story plot nature of the game and were even more enthralled by the idea that this could be our future. Children love playing games like house, school, work, and church not because they are unoriginal, but because the life that they see adults living is one they desire to be a part of, a life they desire to have. This desire tends to wear off when kids realize that adult responsibilities aren’t always fun and that buying a house isn’t as easy as drawing a card. These responsibilities are so difficult in fact that people begin to hate their anxious, busy daily schedule. Yet, is this what Jesus means when He says we must hate our lives?
In the Gospel today, Jesus makes a startling statement: “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” This is seemingly contradictory to His witness of experiencing love, joy, and fullness on this earth. But maybe Jesus’ words today are just an invitation to reflect on where our loves lie and what our priorities are. Jesus was someone who enjoyed life, He drank and ate and celebrated holidays, He loved His family and loved His friends. But He also gave it all up to be crucified and killed at a young age. Jesus did not hate His life and ask to be brutally murdered, Jesus simply had a love for someone greater, the Father, and a hope for something better, heaven. My life might be great in this world, but it doesn’t compare to the eternal life that God has planned for me. I might want to hold on to the material gifts and blessings I have here, but if they ever start holding me back from heaven, then I can no longer allow them to hold any of my heart.
Our responsorial psalm today gives us the exact words we should pray when it gets hard to love solely what God loves: “Create a clean heart in me.” Jesus, purify our desires. Align our will to your own. Make a clean heart for me that I may never choose the things of this world over you. This is the whole point of Lent. To be freed from our slavery to our addictions and desires, to be emptied of our bad habits and distractions, that we may be reminded that God has written His name, His law on our hearts. We should feel consoled in the truth that in our very hearts we have a guide and desire for heaven, something even clearer and more compelling than winning at the game of Life.