Homily for Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A

First Reading: Ez 37:12–14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 130:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8

Second Reading: Rom 8:8–11

Gospel: Jn 11:1–45 or 11:3–7, 17, 20–27, 33b–45

St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, North Richland Hills, TX

            Whenever a group of Catholics is together and the question comes up: “Which Scripture passage most touches your heart?” invariably a significant percentage of those Catholics will quote John 11:35 from the Gospel reading we heard today: “Jesus wept.” Many who comment on this verse refer to Jesus weeping over the death of his friend Lazarus as an example of how in his humanity, Jesus understands the reality of our human condition. He weeps because his precious children suffer death. Jesus does indeed understand our humanity far beyond what we can imagine. But today I am going to offer you a little different take on this scripture. Perhaps, Jesus was weeping for another reason, as well.

            The Gospel begins today with the illness of Lazarus and then his death. But Jesus does not go in haste to heal his friend. Instead he waits for two days before setting out. Jesus’ focus is not on the illness or even the death of Lazarus, but rather on the glory of God that will be revealed because of that illness and death. Now, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were the best of friends with Jesus. Scholars tell us he likely stayed in their house whenever he traveled to and from Jerusalem during his three years of public ministry. They knew Jesus very well. When he arrives in Bethany and they head to the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus asks Martha if she believes and declares to her “I am the resurrection and the life.” (Jn 11:25) Jesus is trying to remind Martha that he had already “promised to ‘raise up’ on the last day those who believe in him and consume his eucharistic flesh and blood. (Jn 6:40, 44, 54)^[1]  Yet, she still pokes at him and pointedly reminds him that he waited four days to ‘do something.’ Here is one of his closest disciples, one who knows him intimately, who has shared countless meals with him, and yet she remains concerned on what is wrong and what is broken. She interrupts Jesus and offers her own interpretations on what he is supposed to do. She says the right words of the traditional Jewish faith taught by the Scribes and Pharisees^[2], but she does not understand the new teaching of Christ that Jesus is the Lord of eternal life – he is the eternal Word of God. She blames Jesus for the death of Lazarus because she expected him to ‘fix it’ and ‘do something.’ She still does not understand who Jesus is and the supreme power and authority that is his. Martha wants Jesus to act according to her time. She does not want to wait for the glory of God to shine forth. She does not yet trust him fully. And so Jesus weeps.

            Sometimes, we are the same as Martha. You see, for the last three Sundays of Lent, Jesus has been telling us who he is. When he healed the blind man, Jesus proclaimed “I am the light of the world.” (Jn 9:5) When the woman at the well said she was waiting for the Messiah, Jesus revealed to her “I am he.” (Jn 4:26). On the mountain with Peter, James, and John, God declared Jesus was his beloved son.” (Mt 17:5). And like Martha, sometimes we believe and say all the right words, but we do not understand. In this midst of this pandemic, our lives are turned topsy-turvy, our plans are postponed and forced aside. Important events are cancelled, Mass is celebrated without the congregation, and we cry out to God “When will you end this?!” From the story of Lazarus we are reminded that God works in his time, for his greater glory in order to draw his disciples closer to him in faith. Just like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Jesus does not abandon us now in our time of need, but walks alongside us, reminding us that he is God, he loves us to the deepest depths of his Most Sacred Heart, and he will show us his glory.

            When we are tempted to lose hope in this time of crisis and distress, when we are tempted to fall into despair, it is easy to expect God to ‘fix it’ and to ‘do something’ and ‘by the way to please do it now.’ But perhaps a better way is to remember that God uses these tragic times to bring forth his glory and so draw us closer to him in faith. You know, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Theresa, faced tragic situations every day. “When she needed someone to help her she say to them, ‘Would you do something beautiful for God?’ That was her way of showing that every tragedy is an opportunity to manifest the Glory of God.”[3] So today, as we make our way through the craziness of this pandemic together, we should remember to ask ourselves “How can I be an instrument through which God manifests his glory? We should remember to ask God in our prayers “How can I do something beautiful for you today, my dear Jesus?” This coronavirus pandemic will end one day. Our lives will return to normal, whatever that will look like. And it will happen in God’s time. Meanwhile, my brethren, hold on tightly to your hope, let his glory shine forth in and through you, trust in God, persevere in your faith, and remember that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

St. Joseph, Mirror of Patience, Pray for us!

           

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^[1] Francis Martin and William M. Wright IV, The Gospel of John, ed. Peter S. Williamson and Mary Healy, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 205.

^[2] Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1998), 199.

[3] Daniel H. Mueggenborg, “Discipleship Reflections on the Sunday Gospel Readings Liturgical Year A”, (Herefordshire, UK: Gracewing, 2016), 74.