Bulletin
5th Sunday of Lent A
Ezekiel 37: 12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45The readings today present the theme of a new creation in a way that birth, life, death and living forever with God in heaven, should be the complete cycle of every person’s life in Christ. Do I view it this way, usually I don’t, but that is the total meaning of life. How can I open myself today to the message in each of the readings?
The 37th chapter of Ezekiel starts off with the prophet’s vision of the ‘Dry Bones.’ Now Ezekiel was a priest and he received God’s call to be a prophet as one of the exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC. He task was to prepare his countrymen in Babylon for the final destruction of Jerusalem which they never believed would happen. Now Ezekiel felt that these exiles where the hope of a ‘resurrected’ Israel. So he starts in today’s reading to give them a vision of the ‘new Israel’ under the rule of God. This 37th chapter expresses his firm belief in the coming restoration: Israel rising to new life from the ‘graveyard’ of Babylon and this total fulfillment will come in the New Testament with the Messiah Jesus.
This was God’s plan, the people had to learn to abandon their own ways and put God first. They didn’t; they chose to ignore their prophets (Jeremiah and Ezekiel). As a result, the kingdom collapsed and the people went into a dark despair; they had lost hope, there was no change for them; they were like the ‘Dry Bones’ in the graveyard. Ezekiel says that God will open the graves and bring them back to life. God did this in creation, by breathing life into clay and this was repeated with Jesus gave the Spirit when He breathed on the apostles. This is a wonderful commentary on what God is constantly doing to each person who allows God to be active in their life: God gives life...the Spirit gives grace to help people ‘come alive’ with God...the sharing of the Spirit gives purpose and meaning to each person who is living the plan of God.
This is what Paul is explaining to the Romans that each is a ‘new creation’. The Holy Spirit dwells with each believer so that the things of the world (Paul calls these ‘fleshly’) no longer have power over people. If the Spirit could raise Jesus so will the Spirit raise each person because of God’s mercy and this makes each a part of God’s plan...if I allow this to happen, if each person allows this to happen.
Verna A. Holyhead in Building on Rock, Welcoming the Word in Year A explains, “Paul assures the Roman community that those who have no interest in things that are of God, or in how their lives are related to God, are confined in a limiting understanding of their humanity; Their mind-set is hostile to God, and so not life-giving. Those who are baptized should live in the Spirit-centered mind-set, for the Spirit dwells in them.” So I have to ask myself daily: Am I putting obstacles to the Spirit...’Am I living my life in union with God or the way that I want because I come first and not God?
Now how does God view me? John describes His care, love, devotion for each person...’I no longer call you slaves, but friends.’ In the story of Lazarus, we see Jesus’ interaction and love for ‘His friend’. Jesus describes God not as a disinterested, or far-away or not caring but one of love. John uses these words: “Master, the one you love is ill. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus...our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him...I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’...when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, He became perturbed and deeply troubled and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Sir, come and see.’ And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him’....Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’” There is absolutely no question about Jesus’ love...and that love is always present. So do I thank Jesus for this love...do I go to Him in love...Do I let Him love me? I need to ask myself this each day and then have time to just be with the Lord.
There is still a deeper message in
these readings. Sunday Homily Helps gives this beautiful summation
of the Gospel: “Resurrection and
life. The theological part of the story takes place in vv 17-37.
Jesus goes to Lazarus and finds him officially dead (four days).
Jesus then engages in conversation with both Martha and Mary over the
issue of death and resurrection. The two sisters repeat traditional
Jewish belief in the resurrection of the body on the final day.
Jesus attempts to get them to understand that He Himself is the
resurrection and the life.
Those
who believe in Jesus will have access to that resurrection and life
right now. It is a present reality—not something coming at the end
of time. Neither sister grasps the real meaning of what Jesus tell
them.
The
weeping of Jesus is perhaps as much from frustration at not being
understood as it is from sadness. This is not a sentimental moment
for Jesus. He is worked up as He goes to the door of the tomb and
demands the stone’s removal. He literally yells at Lazarus to come
out of the tomb. Lazarus emerges from the tomb, still bound in his
burial wrappings. He needs to be untied. Jesus has given Lazarus
back his old life.
But that is not the real point of
the story. The real point is that Jesus can give life because He
Himself is the fullness of life. He is the resurrection and the
life. Those who believe in Him will never die, but will share in His
resurrection life.” Do I believe this...this is from God.
So I reflect on:- There are people around me who are ‘entombed’ in
hopelessness, who are ‘entangled’ in despair, who are buried in
the conviction that they don’t’ matter. Do I ever feel it is to
these that I am sent?
- The call to realize that God has given me unique gifts to
serve others, in spite of my own pressing needs...this is the story
of resurrection...am I aware of this meaning?
- What are the signs that I am awakening from sin?
- Whatever the age or circumstance, God will continue to
advance His kingdom through those who trust in Him despite the
difficulties. Do I believe this? Do I live this?
‘’A thick and shapeless tree-trunk would never belief that it could become a statue, admired as a miracle of sculpture, and would never submit itself to the chisel of the sculptor, who sees by her genius what she can make of it’ (St. Ignatius). I ask for the grace to let myself be shaped by my loving Creator.”
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