5^th Sunday in Lent Year I Theme: Living in Risen Jesus 06-04-2014

1^st Reading Ez:37:12b-14 Life giving Spirit

2^nd Reading Rom 8:8-11 Risen Jesus gives us life.

Gospel John 11:1-45 Lazarus is raised to Life.

Is it possible to draw a picture of death?

Often death, danger is pictured by a skeleton.

Sin is a condition for death to have entered this world.

Jesus restores life to people in sin when they seek forgiveness of sin.

Jesus shouted “My God My God why have you forsaken me????”

Therefore in our life sin is a reality.

Once we know we have sinned we have to avoid sin by confessing.

Sin is a worst than cancer in our society where we live.

If we enumerate the sins they are many.

Mortal sins are to be avoided.

It could be done away with only by Jesus compassionate love.

Life consists of many types of friendships.

Today we try to meditate on Jesus friendship.

Jesus did have some people whom he loved.

Jesus spent time with them most of his public life for 3 years.

He ate meal, spend some hours with them.

Lazarus was one of such friends.

His two sisters must have been his real well wishers.

They even are bold enough to seek Jesus’ company, when they found Lazarus ill.

They even sent word to Jesus to come and heal him.

Jesus did not immediately respond to their call to his their brother.

He told his disciples that, Lazarus was sleeping.

He tries to foretell that he is the Lord of life and death.

He is powerful enough to raise even a dead person to life.

Isn’t it a fact that all of us love our life?

To save it we will go to any extent.

We try to extend our life by exercise, good food, health check etc.

It is said a poor man walks two miles to earn his bread.

While a rich man walks two miles to digest his bread.

Interesting comparison of two types of people isn’t it??????

What can we say of our life?

How can we say we have lived a worthwhile life?????

Can we say when the time for resurrection arrives, could our next life be a joyful event?????

Can we expect to be on the right of the just Judge or left of HIM?????

It may be we may say like Martha, we are full of stinking sins.

When Jesus arrives and asks to show him our grave.

What type of smell is it?

Smell of a sinful condition, because when Jesus arrives, sin disappears and life arrives.

We take life for granted.

We do not appreciate the life we have as long as we are not ill.

Then we run around to restore it to its health.

Spiritual illness is sin.

Sin destroys our state of goodness.

It is our duty during the Lenten season to restore this goodness.

The letter to the Romans is also showing how sin becomes an evil which has to be put to death and buried forever.

Jesus has proved the value of life.

He even wept when Martha and Mary were distorting at the death of his friend.

He shows his solidarity with his friends.

And this eventually leads him to restore Lazarus back to life.

What a miracle of love??????

This can happen to each one of us.

Jesus weeps when we remain in sin.

Let us be united with our master and enjoy our life in the Spirit

Yours ever in the divine word,

Fr. Juze Vas svd