What a powerful Gospel we listen to this Sunday that from death we are given the gift of life. It is so rich and so relevant as we go through these days of darkness and fear. We hear what is one of the most jarring lines of all of Sacred scripture. “Jesus wept”. This is a Gospel that speaks of love. We are told Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Interesting that their close relationship with Jesus does not mean that bad things doesn’t happen to them. Jesus doesn’t intervene and prevent Lazarus from dying. But Jesus is ultimately present to Martha and Mary,and God is glorified, even in something that feels initially sopainful. What is about to happen is by far, Jesus’ most dramatic and impressive miracle, his greatest act of healing. Jesus tellsthe disciples that because of this death they may come to faith. Jesus waits before going to Bethany because he is not going as a response to human need, as he told the disciples, he is going to glorify the Father. He is going so that by raising Lazarus from the sleep of death he might bring the disciples to a greater faith. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, he finds that Lazarus has been dead in the tomb for 4 day and their friends and neighbors mourning. Leaving her sister Mary behind in the house,Lazarus’s sister Martha comes out to meet Jesus. Martha tells Jesus that whatever he asks of God – God will give him – Martha sees Jesus as a miracle worker. Jesus lovingly assures her, “I am 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 asks Martha “Do you believe this?” Like the disciples, Martha, has a limited faith. She doesn’t comprehend what Jesus is telling her. Martha goes to her sister Mary and tells her “the teacher is here”. The teacher – she doesn’t get who Jesus is. “He is calling for you”. We see Mary in the Scriptures as the special sister. When she hears Jesus’ call she rises and immediately goes to him. Her friends and neighbors think Mary is going to the tomb to wail and lament over the death of her brother. But this is not the case, Mary is going to Jesus. The crowd is focused on the death of Lazarus, while Mary is focused on the presence of Jesus. Mary comes toJesus and falls at his feet. Something powerful happens here. Mary comes accepting Jesus as the resurrection and the life but then gets caught up in everyone else’s lamentations and mourning. Mary moves from focusing on Jesus, to now focusing on death. Here, Jesus’ public ministry is coming to an end and it seems no one understands what he has been telling them about resurrection and new life. Jesus in frustration – weeps. He weeps that his unconditional gift of self, as the resurrection and the life, who comes to offer life here and in the hereafter to all who would believe in him, will never be understood or accepted.Jesus comes with this promise of resurrection and life and everyone is focused on death. How true that can be for us as well. How often in times of crisis, that what we are going through these days we can be deaf to the loving assuring words of Jesus. “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”
Jesus goes to the tomb. Jesus prayers out loud so all can hear him. Jesus in loving union with God, lifts his eyes and thanks God for the oneness between himself and the father. What is about to happen is not magic. What happens is because of Jesus’ connection with the Father. And Lazarus comes out. The resurrection and the life has lovingly called Lazarus back to life. We see this loving action of God in Jesus is visible to all at the tomb.
Death is a real part of life. I’m sure each of us has a greater sense of that these days. Being in a relationship with Jesus means facing death and sorrow with him. It means trusting that he is the resurrection and the life. It means that in spite of deathsand sickness that we are living with Jesus is calling us out of ourtombs of our fear and worry because he is the resurrection and life. Nothing is ever so dead that it keeps him from being that in himself nothing is ever so dead that it keeps him from being thatfor us. Abundant life is always ever now!
Also, everyday
at 12:30pm I hope you all can join me in praying the rosary together via Zoom. Simply dial
(408) 638-0968 follow the instructions given by the operator. The meeting ID is
2601036575.
Father David Nolan