Svondo 17 Kurume – March;

Svondo yechishanu yoMwaka woKutsanya – B

Pasvondo iri kana tichitevedzera Maitiro Okupinza
Vakuru muchitendero chechiKristu (The Rite of
Christian Initiation for Adults – RCIA) tinoverenga
zviverengo zvesvondo rechishanu remwaka wekutsanya
regore raMateu (A). Kana zvisizvo tinoverenga
zviverengo zvinotevera.

Chiverengo chokutanga:
Jeremiya 31,31-34

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku roMuporofita Jeremiya
31 “Chionai, zvanzi naTenzi mazuva achasvika andichaita chitenderano chitsva nemba yokwaIsiraeri
nemba yokwaJudha. 32Chichange chisina kufanana
nechitenderano chiya chandakaita namadzitateguru avo pandakavabata ruoko ndichivaburitsa munyika
yeIjipiti, chitenderano changu chavakaputsa
kunyange zvazvo ini ndiri ini ndaiva murume
wavo, ndizvo zviri kutaura Tenzi. 33 Asi ichi
ndochitenderano chandichaita nemba yeIsiraeri
mushure memazuva iwayo, ndizvo zvinotaura
Tenzi, chokuti:
Ndichauisa mutemo wangu mavari ndichiunyora
pamwoyo pavo. Ini ndichava Mwari wavo, ivo
vachivawo vanhu vangu.
34Kuchange kusisina zvokudzidzisanazve mumwe
nomumwe, hama nehama, munhu achiti, ‘Zivawo
Tenzi,’ nokuti vose zvavo vachandiziva, kubvira
kumuduku-duku kusvikira kumukuru wacho,
ndizvo zviri kutaura Tenzi, nokuti ndichavaregerera
uipi hwavo uye chitadzo chavo handichazombochirangarirazve.”
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira: Nziyo 51,1-2.10-13. (D – 10)

(D) – Mwari wangu, ndipei mwoyo wakachena.
1Ndinzwireiwo tsitsi Mwari pamusana
pemwoyochena wenyu,
nokuda kwengoni dzenyu zhinji.
Pfudzai kukanganisa kwangu.
2Ndishambidzei kwazvo kuuipi hwangu,
mundinatsewo kuchitadzo changu
(D) – Mwari wangu, ndipei mwoyo wakachena.
10Ndipei mwoyo wakachena, Mwari wangu
muise mandiri mweya kwawo mutsva.
11Musandidzinge pamuri, uye musabvise Mweya
wenyu mutsvene mandiri.
(D) – Mwari wangu, ndipei mwoyo wakachena.
12Ndidzorerewo rufaro rworuponeso rwenyu,
mundichengetedze ndiine mwoyo wokuteerera.
13Ndingatozodzidziswa nzira dzenyu,
vanhu vanokanganisa, vatadzi
vachitozodzokerawo kwamuri.
(D) – Mwari wangu, ndipei mwoyo wakachena.

Chiverengo chechipiri:
VaHebheru 5,7-9

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba
yakanyorerwa vaHebheru
Hama, 7 pamazuva ake paakanga achinomuviri
wake, Jesu akanamata nokuteterera, achichema
kwazvo nezwi guru aine misodzi padama kuna iye
aigona kumununura kurufu. Chichemo chake
chakanzwika, nokuti aive ari anotya Mwari. 8Kunyange akanga ari Mwanakomana, nokutambudzika
kwaakaita, akadzidza kuti chinonzi kuteerera chii.
9 Paakanga zvino, aitwa munhu akaruramisisa akazova musakisi woruponeso kuna vose vanomuteerera.
Shoko raTenzi.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Johani 12,26

Mbiri nerukudzo ngazvive kwamuri, Tenzi Jesu.
Jesu anoti: Anoda kundishandira, anofanira
kunditevera, kwandinenge ndiri, mushandi
wangu ndokwaanofanirawo kuva.
Mbiri nerukudzo ngazvive kwamuri, Tenzi Jesu.

Shoko Rakanaka: Johani 12,20-33

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naJohani
20 Pakati pavanhu vakaenda kundonamata kuzuva
guru paiva navamwe vaGiriki. 21 Ivava vakaenda
kuna Firipi aibva kuBhetisaidha, muGarirea vakati
kwaari, “Changamire tinodawo kuona Jesu.”
22Firipi akaenda akandotaurira Andireya. Andireya
akaenda naFiripi, vakandoudza Jesu.
23 Jesu akavapindura achiti,
“Nguva yasvika yokuti Mwanakomana womunhu
zvino achiwana mukurumbira.
24Zvechokwadi chaizvo ndinoti kwamuri kusatoti tsanga yekoroni yawira muvhu ikafa
inoramba ichingova yoga,
asi ikafa inobereka muchero wakawanda.
25Anoda upenyu hwake anorasikirwa nahwo,
asi uyo anovenga upenyu hwake pasi pano,
anohuchengeta kusvikira kuupenyu
husingaperi.
26Anoda kundishandira, anofanira kunditevera,
kwandinenge ndiri, mushandi wangu
ndokwaanofanirawo kuva.
Munhu akandishandira, Baba vachamukudza.
27 Iye zvino ndiri kushushikana mumwoyo.
Ndoti kudiiko?
Baba ndipunyutseiwo kunguva iyi,
asi aiwa, inga zvenguva iyi ndizvo
zvandakavinga wani.
28Baba rumbidzai zita renyu.”
Ipapo izwi rakabva kudenga richiti, “Ndakarirumbidza, uye ndicharirumbidzazve.”
29Chikwata chavanhu chakanga chiripo chakazvinzwa. Vakati, “Kwatinhira,” vamwewo vakati, “Mutumwa waMwari ataura kwaari.” 30 Jesu akapindura
achiti, “Izwi iri rauyira imi kwete ini.”
31 “Zvino kutongwa kwapasi pano kwasvika.
Zvino mutongi wapasi pano ava kudzingirwa
kunze 32 Iniwo kana ndarembedzwa pamusoro payo
nyika, ndichakwezvera vanhu vose kwandiri.”
33Akataura izvi achiratidza rufu rwaaizofa narwo.

Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi
MARCH 17TH 2024

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

FIRST READING
“I will make a new covenant,… and I will remember their sin no more.”
JEREMIAH 31: 31 – 34

“Behold, The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

The Word of the Lord

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 51: 3 – 4, 12 – 13, 14 – 15 (R.) 12a

R/. Create a pure heart for me, O God.

Have mercy on me, O God,
According to your merciful love;
According to your great compassion,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. R/.

Create a pure heart for me, O God;
Renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence;
Take not your holy spirit from me. R/.

Restore in me the joy of your salvation;
Sustain in me a willing spirit.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
That sinners may return to you. R/.
 

SECOND READING
“He learnt obedience, and he became the source of eternal salvation.”
HEBREWS 5: 7 – 9

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learnt obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

The Word of the Lord.

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
John 12: 26

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
If any one serves me, he must follow me, says the Lord; and where I am, there shall my servant be also.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
“If a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it bears much fruit.”
JOHN 12: 20 – 33

At that time: Among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.  And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him. “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose 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.”  The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”  Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.  Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

The Gospel of the Lord
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Suffering Transformed by Glory
March 17, 2024

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” (John 12:27–28)

Our Lord’s human soul was “troubled.” Other translations state that His soul was in agony. After expressing His interior suffering, Jesus identified the human temptation caused by this suffering: to flee from His “hour.” Of course Jesus dismisses this temptation as a way of teaching us a lesson from His human experience.

As God, Jesus had perfect strength and always remained faithful to the mission He received from the Father. But as a human, Jesus permitted Himself to experience temptation and human suffering for many reasons. One reason was so that He could relate to us in every way. That includes being able to relate to interior human suffering. In doing so, Jesus also made it possible for us to imitate Him and to share in the strength and determination He had as He perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father. Jesus allowed Himself to endure the agony caused by foreseen suffering because we will endure similar temptations through life.

What is it that causes you fear and anxiety as you look into the future? If there is something that immediately comes to mind, try to look at that within the light of Jesus’ own experience above. The first thing Jesus does is identify the temptation to fear. He does this by identifying the interior suffering He experiences and then by looking at the cause: His coming “hour.” The “hour” of Jesus in the Gospel of John is a reference to His crucifixion and death. This was the reason He came to us. He came to suffer the consequences of our sins and to destroy death itself. But this mission of His was the cause of true human suffering and was also a temptation toward fear. But it was a fear that He perfectly overcame.

As you look at anything that tempts you to give into fear and anxiety, first ask yourself whether it is the will of God that you fulfill that action. If we are fearful of something that is not the will of the Father, then we should reject it. But very often the plan God has for our lives will include acting with courage in the face of some pending cross and suffering. Experiencing fear is normal, but fear will not turn into anxiety if we imitate our Lord and choose the will of God no matter the cost.

Jesus also embraced His Cross by looking at it through the lens of glory. He understood that His suffering and death would glorify the Father in Heaven. Therefore, He allowed Himself to see the Cross as a glorification of the Father. The same must happen in our lives. No matter what we face in life, no matter the cross we are given, if it is the will of God that we embrace it, then we must see it not only as a suffering we must endure but primarily as an act by which God will be glorified in our lives. This truer perspective will bring with it hope, joy and strength which will free us from anxiety caused by fear.

Reflect, today, upon the ways in which God is calling you to the cross. As you do, don’t allow fear to deter you. Instead, look at every pending suffering as an opportunity to glorify God in your life. See your crosses with gratitude and joy, and allow this new perspective to give you the strength you need to fulfill the mission given to you by the Father in Heaven.

PRAYER:
Most glorious Father, Your will is perfect. You called Your Son to the suffering of the Cross. Through that act of perfect love, the suffering Your Son endured gave You perfect glory. Lord Jesus, please give me Your courage as I face my own sufferings in life and help me to imitate Your perfect obedience to the Father’s will in all things so that I, too, may give Him glory. Jesus, I trust in You.