Lenten Reflections 2017

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Reading 1 Ez 37:12-14
Reading 2 Rom 8:8-11
Gospel Jn 11:1-45

Jesus told her, "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?"

Meditation:
For the past few weeks the Gospels have given us accounts of various encounters with Jesus; the woman at the well, the man born blind, and today the people at Bethany, Martha, Mary, Lazarus and the townspeople.
Every encounter comes with an invitation to faith: to the Samaritan woman at the well and her townspeople; come and see and drink living water. To the man born blind; behold the man, the prophet, the son of man, the Lord and now to Martha and Mary and all with them - "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?"

"Lazarus come out"

Lazarus' resuscitation foreshadows the resurrection of Christ. Death will not have the final say on our sin. The first Word in Christ was "let there be" and the final Word in Christ is "come out".

Christ calls each and every one of us to "come out" of darkness into the light, out of sin into holiness, out of death into eternal life. Do you believe this?

This is the final week of Lent before we enter into Holy Week. What are we still hiding from, still running from, still imprisoned in, still ignorant of? Hear the words of our Lord "come out".
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Peace.