Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year, A – April 2, 2017

Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Responsorial Psalm Ps 130:1-2.3-4.5-7a.7b-8.(R.7b); Rom. 8:8-11; Gospel Jn 11:1-45.

Theme: Rise Up, Resurrect that Dream!

Beloved in Christ, as we gradually close in on Easter, the first reading from Ezekiel 37:12-14 tells us about the Prophet Ezekiel, a priest of the temple of Jerusalem who lived around 597 BC and was deported from Babylon with King Joachim alongside the first deportees. The prophet sings redemption song as the people count their blessings wrought about by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Prophet Ezekiel encourages the remnant of Yahweh promising them that God would restore their land in the following words: “Behold I will open their graves and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:12). This message of hope is even clearer in Verse 25 of Ezekiel 37.

Apparently, the message of the first reading is a prelude to the gospel narrative wherein Jesus restores Lazarus to life after four days of being in the tomb. Reflecting on the raising of Lazarus from the dead, we realize that we ourselves may have experienced many deaths and have being buried in the tomb severally while still alive.

Think of the deaths/tomb(s) of breakages in marriage, lack of peace in the family, unemployment and other unfortunate scenarios like being victims of crime, violence, rape, incest and abortion. Other such dead or tomb situations are, bereavement of a loved one -  be it husband, wife, father, mother, sister or brother. When we experience self-doubt, guilt of the past, we often feel like we are in the tomb.  Selfishness and mediocrity equally makes us feel dry and dead.

Friend in Christ, you can’t spend your life in the graveyard of quilt dealing with the corpses of the past. You must rely on God’s Spirit to help you know when things are dead in your life so as to know when to release them. Chances are that if you continue to work with the dry bones of dead issues, you too, will begin to decay. You must realise that no amount of work can resuscitate a corpse. All you need to do is to sign the dead certificate and bury the past.

Friend in the Lord, what do you gain by beating a dead horse? It is far braver and more beneficial to recognize that you must move ahead and face new challenges. This you can achieve by focusing your energy on things you can actually make an impact on, and bury the past so it may rest in peace. Remember how Lazarus was buried. Mary and Marta knew they can’t do any more than they did; so they buried their big brother. Hear me and hear me good, the best way to manage crisis in your life, things you can’t change, is to pray over them and bury them.

I dare you - Today is the day for that dream to be resurrected. Today is the day to rise up and begin to give birth to the dream that God has put in your heart. Stop weeping and see the resurrection standing before you. Put your trust in him and reclaim the promise he placed in your heart. You need a leap of faith in the midst of the disillusionments. Remember that Martha brought her sadness to the Lord and he transformed it into a faith experience.

It is worth recalling how the community helped Lazarus to remove the stone from the tomb and also unbind him after he came out of the tomb at Jesus’ command. In like manner, God wants us to live for others by sacrificing our time, resources and energies in the service of our neighbours. 

Jesus wept for Lazarus to show us that he has come to share in our humanity thus inspiring our humanity and empowering our divinity. We must use this Lenten period to show solidarity with the poor and make a preferential treatment for those at the margins of society. As individuals and a Church, we must side with the vulnerable identifying with them in word and deed.

Today, Christ says to you as he did to Lazarus, “Lazarus, come out!” He commands you to come out of your addiction to sex, alcohol and gossip. He is ordering the mundane in us to give way to the spiritual. Reversing from a life of sin to the life of the spirit requires a requisite faith on our part to hear God speak to us through the daily events of our life.

Little wonder, the second reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 8:8 says: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” This calls our attention to Sarkinos and Pneumatikos - flesh and Spirit. The works of the flesh as Galatians 5:19 indicates include: immorality, impurity, and shamelessness; idol worship and magic, hatred, jealousy and violence; anger, ambition, division, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the rest. It surmises that those who dwell in the flesh cannot please God.

On the contrary, the fruits of the spirit as Galatians 5:22 presents include: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. God wants you to rise up and resurrect that dream he has put in your heart. May God help us in such a manner that the darkness of Lazarus’ tomb may give way to the bright experience of the resurrection we await at Easter.

May the Lord grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change in our lives, courage to change the things we can and wisdom to the difference through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a terrific week!

NB: Rev. Fr. Justine Dyikuk invites you to his Dinner Book Review, Unveiling and Launching Event.

Book Title: Couples’ Clinic: A Practical Guide on Conflict Resolution in Marriage and the Family in the Light of Effective Communication - For Couples, Would-be Couples, Pastors of Souls and Marriage Councilors.

Reviewer: Rev. Fr. Bitrus Lange.

Chairman & Father of the Day: Engr. Emmanuel Anbua.

Chief Launcher: Amb. Frank Adibe, JP.

Date: Palm Sunday 9, April 2017.

Time: 4pm prompt.

Venue: Youth Formation Centre, Off Sunday Awoniyi Road, Bauchi.

God bless you as you attend!