Death leads to new life...

Death leads to new life...

On the fifth Sunday of Lent in Year A, the central theme is death and life. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel gave the Israelites hope. The divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel represented a chasm that seemed a long way from healing. Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones revealed God’s power to turn Israel's defeat and destruction into an occasion of renewal and restoration. It also gives hope to the people of Israel who die before the new exodus. The Church Fathers saw that Ezekiel’s vision, the bones coming to life and being covered with flesh, could also point to the new life in Christ and resurrection on the last day. St. Paul, in the second reading, assures us that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and dwells within us will give life to our mortal bodies.

In the Gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus is a sign anticipating the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus cries at the tomb of Lazarus. When confronted with death, Jesus reacted the same way you and I react. He cried. Christ does not diminish the reality and the horror of suffering by redeeming it. He fully participates in that, and he shows us that to weep and to mourn over the suffering and death of the world is natural and it's a good thing. He himself does it. His tears are not of despair, but of love and sympathy for Lazarus and his family. Jesus, who became man, experienced a full range of human emotions except for sin.

But then Jesus did something. He called Lazarus out of the grave. He did this not just because he wanted his friend to live. He did this to show us that he was the Lord of Life. In the light of Ezekiel, the raising of   Lazarus proves that Jesus is the Lord, since he can raise Israelites from their graves. Similar miracles are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, such as the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-43) and the raising of the widow’s son from Nain (Luke 7:11-17).

Christ waited two days before leaving for Bethany, knowing that Lazarus would already be dead. When he arrived, he worked the most amazing miracle by bringing Lazarus back to life. In the raising of Lazarus, Christ showed not only that he has power to raise the dead to life but also that he himself is the Resurrection and the Life. He has the power to raise Lazarus from the dead even after the tomb has been closed for four days and Lazarus's body has begun to decompose. In other words, it's a sign pointing forward to the resurrection of Christ, which we will be celebrating on Easter Sunday.

Death and resurrection take place in our daily lives. There are times we feel powerless, but he has the power to call us and say, "Lazarus, come out.” Ezekiel gave hope to the Israelites by saying that God would take them back home and, at the same time, gave them hope in the resurrection on the last day. Our ultimate goal is to get to heaven. Lent invites us to die to whatever keeps us away from God, and then we will have an abundant life with Him. Today, Jesus continues to call us out of the grave and gives us life through the  Sacraments.

During this Lent, we are making the journey through the 33 Days of Eucharistic Glory. This week's theme is ‘The Eucharist and History.’ Eucharist is food for our journey as pilgrims. When we walk through history this week, we start with Jesus’ ‘Bread of Life’ discourse in the Gospel of John chapter 6. So many listeners said that it is difficult to teach. Jesus stayed with his teaching, and the day before the Crucifixion, he    gathered with the Apostles, washed their feet, instituted the Eucharist, and gave them a command, “Do this in memory of me.” Since then, Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, the nourishment for the  journey. When we look up the history, even early Christians were not perfect. They had their own struggles. But they trusted in the Lord and followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. Throughout history, several Eucharistic miracles have occurred. One of them was in the year 700, a miracle took place in Lanciano, Italy. We can go and see the Flesh and Blood from the miracle. This week reminds us to reflect on our First Communion. A historic moment in our lives as a pilgrim in the world. Mary carried Jesus in her womb first; today, we all get to receive him in the Eucharist. Mary leads us to Jesus and teaches us to love him more.