Cycle A - Year II:  

29 March 2020: Fifth Sunday of Lent

(Liturgical Color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading:        Ezekiel 37:12-14

Second Reading:   Romans 8:8-11

Gospel:  Please Read  John 11:1-45 

"A new life in Christ!"

Who is not afraid of death?  Only those who passed on from our world are free from the fear of death.  Because then, for them it is "fait accompli".

In the midst of the covid-19 epidemic with the increasing number of deaths worldwide, people are anxious because of the fear of death.  But can we free ourselves from dying?

This Sunday's Gospel speaks about death, but overcoming death with divine intervention.  For God alone is the author of life, and so only God can defeat death.

In the Gospel from St. John, we hear about Jesus raising Lazarus from death.  Recall that Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, who were friends of Jesus.  According to the Gospel story, the sisters sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was seriously ill.  But instead of rushing to heal Lazarus, our Lord Jesus took His time and might have allowed Lazarus to die, so "that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

When Jesus came to Judea, to the house of Martha and Mary, their brother Lazarus was dead and already buried for four days.  Jesus asked to be led to where they buried Lazarus. Then Jesus orders that the stone at Lazarus' tomb be taken away, prays to the Father, and then calls out: "Lazarus, come out!"  And immediately Lazarus came back to life again.

This is one of the most spectacular miracles of our Lord Jesus.  But what is the significance of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead?     

Well, it is more than a miraculous event.  It is a "sign" of God's promise to raise up all who died in Christ to everlasting life with Him in the heavenly kingdom.  And through the raising of Lazarus from the dead our Lord Jesus showed the disciples and the world that He has power over death.

Let us not forget that although this is an spectacular miracle by our Lord Jesus, it is not the end by itself.   For Lazarus came back to the same life with struggle, hardships and pains, and he eventually died again no doubt.

So then, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is nothing compared to our Lord's Resurrection. For our Lord Jesus rose to a glorious, new and everlasting life completely free from suffering as we experience it now in our world. 

This is where our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the Resurrection can make a difference during these most challenging times in our lives.  So that apart from taking necessary precautions from medical experts to protect us against the epidemic, we cannot let fear take control of our lives.  For all of us without exception will pass on from our present world.  But for us Christians, we know and believe that we will be raised again to a glorious, new and everlasting life free from suffering through our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is what Jesus promised to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die." (Jn 11:25-25)

And so we believe in the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we profess this belief every time we pray "The Creed".

A blessed Sunday to us all.  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!