Theme: JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NEVER DIE
- Ezekiel 37:12-14;
- Psalm 129 (130). R/ v. 7;
- Romans 8:8-11
- John 11:1-45 (Shorter Form, verses 3-7. 20-27. 33-45)
1. Today is the 5th Sunday of Lent, Liturgical Year B, again, we are using the readings of Year A, because there will be Baptisms on Easter Vigil Night! Two Sundays ago, the readings told us about the “waters” of Baptism. Last Sunday the readings told us about the “Light” of Baptism. This Sunday the readings tell us about the “life” of Baptism!
The gospel today tells us that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and that whoever believes in him, even though he dies, he will live, and whoever lives and believes in him will never die!
That is, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in him even though he dies in his sins will live, and whoever lives and continues to believe in him will never die in his sins!
More importantly, the gospel tells us that Martha believed in Jesus. Martha believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world!
Most importantly, the gospel tells us that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, though Lazarus was dead for four days and smelled! In Mark 5 Jairus’ daughter has just died, in Luke 7 the widow’s son has died for about a day, but in today’s gospel Lazarus was dead for four days and was smelling!
Like Martha we too believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world. That is, we too believe that Jesus is Savior, he is God, and he is God become man! And we profess this faith on Easter Vigil Night by answering “I do” to the fifth of the six questions of faith; and like Lazarus, we will be raised from the dead by Jesus in the sacrament of Baptism!
2. But unlike the raising of Lazarus which was a resuscitation and a sign of the resurrection, Jesus will raise us from the dead through his death and resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! It is the Holy Spirit of Jesus that raises us from the dead!
Thus the first reading tells us that the Lord will open our graves and raise us from our graves, and the Lord will put his spirit in us and we will live!
Thus the second reading tells us that if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in us, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies through his Spirit living in us!
The Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and salvation!
3. Thus the response of the responsorial psalm:
“With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” (Ps 129 (130): 7; SM)
The responsorial psalm is a prayer for forgiveness and a prayer of trust in God. The responsorial psalm has four stanzas. The first and second stanzas are a prayer for forgiveness from God. The third and fourth stanzas are a prayer of trust in God. Thus again, the response of the responsorial psalm which is taken from the fourth stanza:
“With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” (Ps 129 (130): 7; SM)
4. Again, during this time of Lent, the Church asks us to pray, to fast, and to give alms to the poor, not as a punishment for our sins, but to help us grow in faith, so that we may profess our faith on Easter Vigil Night, and so that the Lord may raise us from the dead in the sacrament of Baptism on Easter Vigil Night! A blessed Lent to all of you! Amen!
Words of Spirit and Life 
Leave a Reply