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F
IFTH
S
UNDAY OF
L
ENT
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12 to 14
Responsorial Psalm Ps. 130:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8
Second Reading: Romans 8:8 to 11
Gospel: John 11:1 to 45
S
UMMARY
Today’s Gospel is the raising of Lazarus by Jesus. But Martha is the main
character!
R
EFLECTION
The key question Jesus asked of Martha is the same one he asks of us: "Do
you believe? Do you believe that I am the Resurrection and the Life...not
later, after death, but NOW! Do you believe that I can bring you life NOW,
TODAY, in the Eucharist, or in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or in the
Anointing of the Sick...in Baptism? Do you believe that I am the Resurrec-
tion and the Life?”
“Do you believe that, like Lazarus, you can be raised out of your
tombs, NOW, TODAY? ...that I can bring you from the tombs of
grief, or loneliness, or boredom and routine and a life with little
meaning, or a dried out and dead faith?”
“Do you believe that I can bring you out of your fears and your ti-
midity and your self pity? Or even worse, out of the hatred, the re-
sentment in your life, the unwillingness to forgive which is a self-
dug grave? Do you believe that I can raise you from despair, ad-
diction, that over-powering temptation or sin or weakness that
seems to bury you alive without hope?
“Do you believe that I am the Resurrection and the Life....that as I
said to Lazarus, I can say to you: "COME FORTH! COME ALIVE!
COME BACK TO US!”
If you believe, as Martha did, and if you have enough faith in
yourself and in Jesus Christ, or even if you try to believe, and want