"When I am raised from the ground, I will attract everyone to me" (John 12: 20-33)
Biblical reflections by Mauro Leonardi*, priest and writer
"When I am high from the ground, I will attract everyone to me": the driving force of love that Jesus expresses in these words, but that I am in all this Gospel from the beginning, when of the Greeks, of the pagans, say, is wonderful: "they say:" We want to see Jesus "and then, so that their desire to come true, Filippo and Andrea move. And all this energy releases from the cross, which is the instrument of love with which Jesus saves the whole world.
From the Gospel according to John 12: 20-33
At that time, among those who had climbed for the cult during the party there were also some Greeks. These approached Filippo, who was from Betsàida of Galilee, and asked him: "Lord, we want to see Jesus".
Filippo went to tell Andrea, and then Andrea and Filippo went to tell Jesus. Jesus replied: "The time has come that the Son of man is glorified. In truth, in truth I tell you: if the grain of wheat, fallen to the ground, does not die, it remains alone; If, on the other hand, it dies, it produces a lot of fruit. Those who love their lives, lose it and those who hate their lives in this world, will keep it for eternal life. If one wants to serve me, follow me, and where I am, there will also be my servant. If one serves me, the father will honor him. Now my soul is disturbed; What will I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this reason I came to this hour! Father, glorify your name ».
Then a voice came from heaven: "I glorified it and I will glorify it again!".
The crowd, who was present and had heard, said it had been a thunder. Others said: "An angel spoke to him." Jesus said: «This voice has not come for me, but for you. Now it is the judgment of this world; Now the prince of this world will be thrown out. And when I am raised from the ground, I will attract everyone to me ». He said this to indicate which death he had to die.
* Mauro Leonardi (Como 1959) has been a priest since 29 May 1988 and has lived in Rome since then. He spends many hours of his day as a priest and prefers building bridges rather than raising walls. For years he has been writing stories, articles, essays and books that revolve around the relationship between man and God. Author of the blogLike Jesus. Abelis (Lindau) is his latest novel. The volunteers of the Gionata Project thank him for wanting to share these reflections on the Word with us.
