From our Pastor’s Desk

Dear Family:

We are entering the Fifth Sunday and Week of Lent and the Gospel passage assigned for this Sunday brings us face to face with death, the death of a close friend of Jesus. Whenever Christians ponder death they are also supposed to be thinking of resurrected life. That can be very difficult to do, of course, when one or many whom we love die, and our grief cannot be swept away with a few words. Yet even in grief the Christian is called to believe that the triumph of Christ over death is a gift extended to the whole human race, to all who die and to all who mourn, called to participate in God’s life that can never die.

The seed must die in order to give life to a plant. This image reminds us that our earthly existence will come to an end, but from that apparent annihilation, resurrected life can come forth, as promised by the Lord and shown by His own Resurrection from the dead. It is especially prefigured in the raising of Lazarus from the tomb, which Roman Catholics recall each year the Sunday before Palm Sunday. Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christians recount the raising of Lazarus on the Sunday before Palm Sunday.

In either case, the story of Lazarus’ return to life is placed in the Christian liturgy quite close to Holy Week when we especially ponder each year the mystery of Christ’s saving death and resurrection. Just as Lazarus, who was dead and in a tomb for some days was raised to new life by Christ, so too each of us can experience resurrected life in Jesus Christ. Resurrection from the dead is the basis of our hope and the cause of our rejoicing even in the face of death.

In other words, we Christians believe that death is not the end of our existence. Our life changes at death but does not end. In fact our death is the entrance into a new and eternal life which lasts forever. The Sacred Scriptures are an exclamation of life, of resurrection, of dwelling in God and ultimately in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The three Scripture readings for this Sunday proclaim clearly the call of life. From Ezekiel the Prophet we hear, “Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them.” And further, “I will put my spirit in you that you may live.” Could there be more encouraging words?

In the second reading Saint Paul says, “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” What great news for the follower of Jesus Christ, called to be part of God’s kingdom here on earth and in the world to come. Finally, in the Gospel we find the gloriously encouraging words of the Redeemer: “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.”

Of all the miracles Jesus did, the raising of Lazarus ranks as the most astonishing to the people of his time. Traditional Jewish belief had it that the soul of a dead person somehow remains with the body for three days. After three days the soul departs finally from the body never to return, and that is when corruption sets in. When Martha objects to the opening of the tomb and says, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days,” she is expressing the common view that this is now a hopeless situation. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. In traditional Jewish mentality, bringing back to life a person who is already four days dead and decaying is as unthinkable as the prophet Ezekiel’s vision in which dry bones of the dead are miraculously restored to life.

For the early Christians the story of the raising of Lazarus was more than a pointer to the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus rose on the third day; his body never saw corruption. For them this miracle is a challenge to never give up hope even in the hopeless situations in which they found themselves as individuals, as a church or as a nation. It is never too late for God to revive and revitalize a person, a church or a nation. But first we must learn to cooperate with God.

To effect the miracle, Jesus issues three commands and all of them are obeyed to the letter. That is how the miracle happens. First, Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ So they rolled away the stone.’ Did the people understand why they should do this heavy work of rolling away the tombstone to expose a stinking corpse? You bet they did not. But it was their faith in Jesus expressing itself not through intellectual agreement with Jesus but through practical agreement with him, through obedience. Why did not Jesus command the stone to roll away all by itself, without bothering the people? We do not know. All we know is that divine power seems always to be activated by human cooperation and stifled by non-cooperation.

The second command Jesus gives is directed to the dead man: “Lazarus, come out!” and the dead man came out. We do not know the details of what transpired in the tomb. All we know is that Jesus’ word of command is followed by immediate obedience. Lazarus gropes his way out of the dark tomb even with his hands and feet tied up in bandages, and his face all wrapped up. Even a man rotting away in the tomb can still do something to help himself.

The third command again is addressed to the people, “Untie him and let him go.” Even though Lazarus could stumble himself out of the tomb, there was no way he could unbind himself. He needs the community to do that for him. By unbinding Lazarus and setting him free from the death bands, the community is accepting Lazarus back as one of them.

Many Christian individuals and communities today have fallen victim to the death of sin. Many are already in the tomb of hopelessness and decay, in the bondage of sinful habits and attitudes. Nothing short of a miracle can bring us back to life in Christ. Jesus is ready for the miracle. He himself said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Are we ready to cooperate with him for the miracle? Are we ready to roll away the stone that stands between us and the light of Christ’s face? Are we ready to take the first step to come out of the place of death? Are we ready to unbind (i.e. forgive) one another and go free? These are the various ways we cooperate with God in the miracle of bringing us back to life and reviving us as individuals, as a church, and a nation. May the Lord increase our faith and encourage us to persevere in doing good, living in faith, hope and love as One Body, One Spirit, One Family!

Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Katharine Drexel, Saint Michael the Archangel, St. José Gregorio Hernández, Pope Saint Pius X, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Charbel, pray for us.

Yours in Christ!
Fr. Omar