5th Sunday of Lent
Sunday, March 26 2023

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14 
Psalm # 130 R With the Lord there is steadfast love and great power to redeem
Second Reading:  Romans 8:8-11
Gospel Acclamation Verse: I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26)
Gospel:  John 11:1-45
Theme:  Jesus offers all of us new life.

Commentary by Jane Prini 

Have you ever cried? What makes you cry? Could it be falling and hurting yourself? Maybe you are so sad that you cry. Perhaps you are filled with great joy and cry joyful tears. Perhaps your feelings have been hurt, or maybe someone else is crying and you cry too.

In today’s Gospel, we read the shortest verse in the Bible. It simply says,”Jesus wept” or in some translations; “Jesus began to weep” (John 11:35). He wept with his friends Martha and Mary and he wept because his dear friend Lazarus died. We are meant to see that Jesus was human, like us in every way but sin. Listen to what happens next, and remember, nothing is impossible for God.

Jesus reminds Martha and Mary that their belief that he is ‘the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:5), will show them the glory of God. He goes to the tomb where his friend is buried. It was a cave with a large stone across the entrance. Jesus prays to God the Father for him. He asks some men there to remove the stone, and he calls loudly to his friend; “Lazarus Come OuT!”  And Lazarus walked out of the grave!!

Can you imagine the feelings of those watching this? They probably went from great sadness, to fear, to disbelief, to great joy. Joy because he was dead but is now alive. We see here that Jesus only does resurrections! How marvellous is this? Jesus gives life. In the Creed that we pray every Sunday Mass, we profess that we believe in the Holy Spirit the giver of life. We are saying that we believe in Jesus’ holy spirit that gives us abundant life now, and eternal life, then. For Jesus, death does not have the final word. Chapter eleven of John’s gospel sets the stage for next Sunday’s readings; Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem which then results in his own death and resurrection. 

We all cry, and I for one am glad we have a Saviour who weeps too. I am glad that he loves us so much that he hurts when we are hurting. He sees us and feels our pain. He sees the tears we shed and wants to give us comfort and abundant life. 

Prayer for Families: 

Heavenly Father, it is comforting to know that when we cry, you cry with us. But it is even more comforting to know that you have power over death and the grave and that one day we will be in heaven with you - and then there will be no more tears. We thank you Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

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