The Grain of Wheat and the Joyful Sacrifice

Michiel Peeters - On the day of the martyrdom of the deacon St. Lawrence, we hear Jesus say, "Only if the grain of wheat dies does it produce much fruit." When he spoke these words, the Lord was surrounded by an immense crowd, which had just welcomed him into Jerusalem as a king. 

The adhesion/acclamation seemed so impressive that the Pharisees themselves exclaimed disconsolately, "Do you see that we achieve nothing [with our scheming]? By now the whole world has gone after him!" 

But to those who are close to him, who have been genuinely touched by him, who really want to know him better precisely-such as those Greeks who approached him through Philip-Jesus says: this great newness that I am bringing, does not overwhelm, does not nullify the natural dynamic, the drama of life, on the contrary. To bear fruit, one must die.

But to those who are close to him, who have been genuinely impressed by him, who want to get to know him precisely-such as those Greeks who approached him through Philip-Jesus says: this great newness that I am bringing, does not overwhelm, does not nullify the natural dynamic, the drama of life, on the contrary. To bear fruit, one must die. 

This is true in nature, this is true for me, Jesus, and this will be true for you if you want to follow me. To possess eternal life, true life, you will have to go through the death of what animates you according to the order that seems to surround you.  

Certainly, sacrifice has changed its aspect since He preceded us through that death and since we can see daily the fruits of this dying, which is inevitable for those who want to be servants (diákonos, like St. Lawrence) of what they encountered when they encountered Him. 

St. Lawrence is known as a joyful and good-humored martyr. Perhaps that is why the liturgy also offers the phrase from the Letter to the Philippians, "Let each one give according to what he has decided in his heart, not with sadness nor by force, for God loves a cheerful giver." Fr. Giussani commented, quoting St. Theresa: If you cannot make a certain sacrifice with joy today, don't do it today. You will do it tomorrow. In the meantime, you can wait for Him, seek Him, ask Him, look at Him. Who knows if tomorrow, when asked for the sacrifice, you will not be so gripped by Him that you will want to follow Him wherever He goes. Download.