Fifth Sunday of Lent

Reflection

Perhaps the greatest challenge to our faith in a loving God is the incomprehensible suffering and death of the innocent, such as in abortion and children and innocent civilians who are major casualties in war, and parents who die at an early age leaving behind young families, etc. Pope Saint Paul VI spoke to this when he said that, “The right to life is basic and inalienable. It is grievously violated in our day by abortion and euthanasia, by widespread torture, by acts of violence against innocent parties and by the scourge of war. The arms race is an insanity which burdens the world and creates the conditions for even more massive and destruction of life.” Words spoken some years ago, but still alarmingly relevant.

Yet, in today’s Mass, we have God’s word that God is a God of life!  Each of the Scripture readings addresses the heart of the paschal or Easter mystery, which is new life coming through dying. When I give the homily at a funeral, if it is my choice, I will usually refer to the story of Jesus telling Martha, the grieving sister of Jesus’ friend Lazarus, who has died, that “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if that person dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” After which, Jesus raised Lazarus from death to life.

The late Fr. Raymond Brown, renowned Catholic Scripture scholar, wrote that “Jesus comes to give life that cannot be touched by death, so that those who believe in Him will never die.” The challenge, then, for all of us is to believe in Jesus the Christ and His promise of eternal life beyond all earthly sufferings and death.

Prayer

That our faith and trust in the risen Christ may continually deepen throughout our life on earth.

Fr. Ray Doherty, S.S.E. ’51, Edmundite Campus Ministry

Scripture

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14

Psalm 130:1-8

Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11

Gospel: John 11:1-45

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website