As we meditate on the sacred texts for Sabbato infra Hebdomadam III post Epiphaniam, we are drawn into the mystery of Christ’s love and the call to follow Him even unto death. The readings from Romans 8:35-39 and John 12:24-26 invite us to consider the depth of Christ’s love and the paradox of Christian discipleship: that true life is found in dying to self.
The Unbreakable Love of Christ
Saint Paul’s words in Romans 8:35-39 ring with triumphant certainty:
Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or persecution? Or the sword? … But in all these things we overcome, because of Him that hath loved us. (Rom 8:35, 37)
Saint John Chrysostom, in his Homilies on Romans, reminds us that Paul speaks not merely as one who hopes, but as one who knows:
“For he does not say ‘we shall overcome,’ but ‘we overcome’; nor ‘we are persuaded,’ but ‘I am persuaded’—placing the future as already present, because of his unwavering faith.” (Homily 15 on Romans)
This is the voice of a man who has suffered for Christ and has found that no suffering, however intense, can shake the foundation of divine charity. Saint Augustine, in his Exposition on the Psalms, echoes this confidence:
“Even if the entire world rages, even if the enemy threatens, even if tribulations increase, what is there to fear? If Christ is with us, all passes away like smoke in the wind.” (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 55:5)
Paul does not promise an absence of suffering; rather, he assures us that suffering cannot separate us from Christ. On this point, Saint Cyprian of Carthage exhorts the faithful:
“How can persecution or the sword sever us from Him who Himself suffered persecution and death for us? What a shame it would be if we, His servants, feared to suffer what He, our Master, endured for our salvation!” (De Mortalitate, 13)
This text emboldens the Christian soul. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31).
The Paradox of Life and Death in Christ
In the Gospel for today (John 12:24-26), Our Lord presents a divine paradox:
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)
Here, Christ speaks of His own Passion, but also of the life of every disciple. Saint Ambrose, reflecting on this passage, states:
“The grain of wheat is Christ, who by His death has multiplied into a vast harvest—the Church. But the same law applies to us: unless we die to ourselves, we remain sterile.” (Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, 6.72)
This is the divine wisdom of the Cross: life comes through death. Saint Gregory the Great, in his Homilies on the Gospels, further explains:
“What does it mean to hate one’s life in this world? It means to refuse to be enamored with temporal pleasures, to reject worldly vanities, and to desire heavenly things.” (Homiliae in Evangelia, 37)
To follow Christ is to embrace the Cross. As He declares:
If any man minister to Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also shall My minister be. If any man minister to Me, him will My Father honor. (John 12:26)
This promise is not for an earthly reward but for eternal glory. As Saint Ignatius of Antioch, en route to martyrdom, wrote:
“Let me be ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may be found pure bread of Christ. The wheat must be crushed to become the bread of life.” (Epistola ad Romanos, 4)
What a profound mystery! To die with Christ is not to lose but to gain all.
Conclusion: A Call to Perseverance
As we reflect on these sacred texts during this liturgical season, we are reminded that the love of Christ sustains us through every trial, and that true discipleship demands a willingness to die to self.
Saint Paul assures us that nothing—neither suffering, persecution, nor even death—can separate us from Christ. And Our Lord Himself teaches that only in dying to self can we bear fruit for eternity.
May we take courage from the martyrs and saints who lived this truth, trusting in the unwavering love of our Redeemer. Let us, in the words of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, place our confidence in Him:
“O soul, why do you fear? If you belong to Christ, nothing can take you from Him. If He suffers with you, shall He not also glorify you?” (Sermo 85 in Cantica)
As we continue our journey toward Lent, may these words inspire us to greater fidelity, self-denial, and confidence in the love of Christ—knowing that in losing ourselves for His sake, we gain eternal life.
Domine Iesu, fac me sequi Te in caritate et in cruce!
(Lord Jesus, make me follow Thee in love and in the Cross!)
In Christo, per Mariam,
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