Fifth Sunday in Lent
Intro: Like Chinese whispers, verbal messages can become distorted in their transmission. But Martha and Mary knew there had been no mistake in the message they had sent to Jesus, telling Him that their brother Lazarus was dying. His consequent resurrection demanded a massive readjustment in their relationship with each other. This is a foretaste of the resurrection.
Readings: The Jews had lost hope during their time of exile in Babylon. Through Ezekiel God promises new life and a new country to His devastated people.
Paul spells out the implications of a spiritual life to his converts living amongst the decadence of Roman society, reminding them that, while sin brings death in its wake, Christ will bring new and everlasting life.
Ezekiel 37: 12-14;
Romans 8: 8-11;
John 11: 1-45;
Over the last two Sundays, we've seen the tension rise between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, as this Galilean upstart firstly consorts with a Samaritan woman, and then cures' a man born blind - on the Sabbath! Today we see Him working an even greater miracle - raising His friend Lazarus from the dead.
The core of the story is the exchange between Martha and Jesus. He declares that resurrection from the dead is not only for the end of time, but whoever lives and
believes in Him is already encountering the resurrection and filled with His life.
Initially, however, Martha is far from pleased, and reproaches Jesus bitterly for delaying to visit her brother while he was still alive - "If You had been here, my
brother would not have died" showing that she has the faith to believe that, somehow, Jesus could have prevented her brother's death. But once he's dead ... that's another matter, and she's obviously very hurt - spitting! - at Jesus' apparent lack of care or concern. Jesus Himself seems genuinely cut up over Lazarus' death and Martha and Mary' grief. Perhaps it's the first time that He's been involved in the death of someone close to Him, and it clearly shows His very human side as we're told, He weeps.
He uses this miracle to show, not only His friends, but the wider community, that He has power to raise someone from the dead, thus evoking Martha's cry, As in the previous episodes of both the Samaritan woman, and the man born blind, Jesus draws Martha on to her profession of faith - " Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One Who was to come into this world." One other tiny detail is interesting: Jesus thanks His Father for hearing and answering His prayer, even before He raises Lazarus, showing that He has full confidence that His prayer will not only be heard, but answered.
All through Lent, we've been trying to renew and deepen our own faith through prayer, fasting and works of charity. Through these final two weeks of Lent, let's
renew both our faith and our sorrow for sin. Just as Lazarus was freed from his grave clothes, we are freed from the bonds of sin. And so we become more closely united with Jesus as we draw ever closer to our time of joy at Easter.
The Gospel gives us a foretaste of the impact that His resurrection will make in our own lives. We aren't living merely with a memory of someone who died; we are accompanying a living Jesus, now truly present among us in the Eucharist, Whose ongoing love is alive and active throughout our own lives, and all the way into eternity.
Intercessions
Jesus heard and answered Martha and Mary's plea for their brother. So too, we pray, that through Him, the Father may hear and answer our prayers too:-
1. For the Church throughout the world. May it continue to proclaim faithfully the message of eternal life - Lord, hear us.
2. For the rich nations of the world. May they rise above selfish national interests to recognise and aid the plight of those in the Third World - Lord, hear us.
3. For those who have been hurt by broken relationships, separation, divorce or death. Reach out to them in their pain to bring them the comfort and healing of Your Holy Spirit - Lord. hear us.
4. We pray for our own families, that they may draw closer to You and to each other in times of trouble, sadness or stress - Lord, hear us.
5. For those who have suffered bereavement or any other sort of grief may they take comfort and strength from Your words, "I am the resurrection." We pray also for Josephine McCormick, Christine Gentle, Marion McGrath and Fr. Tony Welsh who have died recently, together with Martin Watson, Eileen Jackson and James Dorrian, whose aniversaries occur about this time. May their souls enter into Your glorious presence, as they await the final resurrection of their bodies - Lord, hear us.
Heavenly Father, giver of life, we place our prayers before You. Lead us to the new life promised by the death and resurrection of Your Son.