Saint Lawrence of Rome – transept of San Francesco della Vigna (Venice)
Gospel Reading : John 12:24-26
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. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him.
What do the Fathers say?
St AUGUSTINE. This may be understood in two ways:
1. If you love it, lose it: if you would preserve your life in Christ, fear not death for Christ.
2. Do not love your life here, lest you lose it hereafter. The latter seems to be the more evangelical sense; for it follows, And he that hates his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.
But do not think for an instant, that by hating your life, is meant that you may kill yourself. For wicked and perverse men have sometimes so mistaken it, and have burnt and strangled themselves, thrown themselves from precipices, and in other ways put an end to themselves. This Christ did not teach, no, when the devil tempted Him to cast Himself down, He said, Get thee hence, Satan.
But when there is no other choice ; when the persecutor threatens death, and you must either disobey God’s law, or depart out of this life, then hate your life in this world, so that you may keep it unto life eternal.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. So then death will be followed by resurrection. and where I am, there shall my servant be also, He says. Thither let us ascend in heart and in mind.
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from :
Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
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