Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A

Ezekiel 37:12–14

Psalm 130:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8

Romans 8:8–11

John 11:1–45

“Life is difficult.” That is the opening line of a book that became a best-seller for decades and started a career for one of our cultural heroes – Dr. M. Scott Peck. 

Many others have followed in offering advice that is realistic and common sense, but no one else has had such a clear and straightforward first statement.

The Fifth Sunday of Lent offers us a set of readings that tell us more about life. Acknowledging the greatest enemy we face, death itself, the Scriptures present us with an opportunity to encounter the God of life.

Ezekiel the prophet proclaims that the people of God will be freed from their graves to continue their journey with God. Paul promises “the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.”

Jesus identifies Himself as “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.” He promises a reward to all who believe in Him.  

In the latter days of His own earthly journey, He sets in motion the forces that seek to bring Him to the final confrontation with death with a great sense of irony by raising Lazarus from death to continue his own earthly life.  

We are told by John that those who were against Jesus who heard about this event did not respond with faith, but instead chose to plot the death of Lazarus as well as Jesus. (See John 12:10-11.) Even returning to life is difficult!

Jesus confronts death right where it appears to have won: at the tomb of the beloved friend who has died. He cries out to the dead man: “Lazarus, come out!” When he sees the wrappings of death that still cling to Lazarus, Jesus said to the bystanders, “Untie him and let him go.”  

Later, there is a dinner party at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Jesus’ final meal with His friends before the events of Holy Week. They rejoice, but those who miss the promise and the meaning of all that has happened continue to work to end His ministry permanently.

Much of Scripture offers clear choices. We are invited to choose life. This choice does not mean that we will not have struggles. On the contrary, our earthly journey becomes even more difficult when we set our sights on the true goal. Any who are caught up in the intrigues of the world as their ultimate goal will fail to see what we see. Faith gives us a new way to understand all that we experience.

The Paschal Mystery, the truth about Jesus as the One Who leads us to life through suffering and death, can be received only by faith in the One Who sent Jesus to be among us. When we respond to the difficulties we face affirming our faith, a new vision and purpose are revealed to us.

The themes of satisfying thirst, opening to the light and passing through death to life prepare us to enter into the “High Holy Days” of our Catholic faith. Next week, Palm Sunday of the Passion, plunges us into the whole story of the Jesus’ Passion and death. We are invited to experience with the whole Church the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people and to all humanity.  

May we be ready for this great adventure as we come to know once more that “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”