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

Fifth Sunday of Lent Year, A – March 29, 2020

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: Resurrect that Dream!

Sunday Synopsis

Today, the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:12-14) encourages the remnant of Yahweh by assuring that God will restore their land. In the second reading (Rom. 8:8-11), St. Paul distinguishes between Sarkinos and Pneumatikos - flesh and Spirit while warning: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” The Gospel (Jn. 11:1-45) presents us with the raising of Lazarus to life after four days of being in the tomb. It narrates how many of the Jews who witnessed the extraordinary event believed in Jesus. In summary, our liturgy reveals Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life (Jn.11:25) who is able to do much more than we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, as we gradually draw close to Easter, God invites us to a spiritual renewal. Today’s liturgy calls us to reverse from a life of sin to the life of the spirit. It indicates that this requires a requisite faith on our part to hear Jesus speaking to us through the daily events of our lives. St. Paul indicates that: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Interestingly, in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Mary and Martha brought their sadness to the Lord who transformed it into a faith-experience. Our reflection presents us with Mary and Marta who knew that they could not do anything about their brother’s death except bringing the matter to Jesus who did the extraordinary, to do same.

Background and Summary of the Readings

The first reading (Ezekiel 37:12-14) tells us about the Prophet Ezekiel, a priest of the temple of Jerusalem. History reveals that he 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. Ezekiel encourages the remnant of Yahweh by promising them that God will restore their land: “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” (Ez. 37:12). This message of hope is even clearer in Verse 25 of Ezekiel 37. The message is a prelude to the gospel narrative wherein Jesus restores Lazarus to life as we shall soon discover.

In the second reading (Rom. 8:8-11), St. Paul distinguishes between Sarkinos and Pneumatikos - flesh and Spirit. This resonates with what he lists elsewhere as the works of the flesh - immorality, impurity, and shamelessness; idol worship and magic, hatred, jealousy and violence; anger, ambition, division, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the rest (Galatians 5:19-21). It surmises that those who dwell in the flesh cannot please God. Conversely, in Galatians 5:22-23, he gives the fruits of the spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.

The Gospel (Jn. 11:1-45) presents us with the story of the raising of Lazarus after four days of being in the tomb. It relates that Lazarus who was ill had two sisters, Mary and Martha. Recall that Jesus was a family-friend. John proves this point when he said that Jesus loved them but did not come immediately when he learnt about the young man’s illness – he stayed two more days. By the time he showed up, Lazarus had passed on. He had told his disciples that Lazarus was resting and assured that he was going to wake him up. It relates that both Mary and Martha believed that if Jesus were there, their brother would not have died. It also reveals that although Jesus cried at the dead of Lazarus, he led his family to believe so as to see the glory of God. After he told the people around to remove the stone, he prayed and called Lazarus out; the dead man came out. He ordered those present to unbind the bandaged man and let him go. We are told that many of the Jews who witnessed the extraordinary event believed in Jesus.

Pastoral Lessons

1. Rely on God’s Spirit: Do not spend your life in the graveyard of quilt dealing with the corpses of the past – instead, rely on God’s Spirit to help you know when things are dead in your life so as to know when to release them.

2. Bury the Past: Chances are that if you continue to work with the dry bones of dead issues like self-doubt and guilt of the past, you too, will begin to decay – since no amount of work can resuscitate a corpse, all you need to do is to sign the dead certificate of those issues; bury the past and let it rest in peace.

3. Face New Challenges: Instead of beating a dead horse, it is far braver and more beneficial to recognize that you must move ahead and face new challenges by refocusing your energy on things you can actually make an impact on.

4. Resurrect that Dream: I dare you - Today is the day for that dream to be resurrected. This is the day to rise up and begin to give birth to the dream that God has put in your heart.

5. Bear the Fruits of the Spirit: We are challenged to bear the fruits of the spirit which include, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

6. Initiate Community-Help: Just as 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, God wants us to live for others by sacrificing our time, resources and energies in the service of our neighbours. 

7. Empathize with the Poor: Jesus wept for Lazarus to show us that he has come to share in our humanity thus inspiring our humanity and empowering our divinity – As such, as individuals and as a Church, we are charged to use this Lenten period to show solidarity with the poor, vulnerable or those at the margins of society by making a preferential option for them in word and deed.

8. Come out of that Addiction: Christ says to you as he did to Lazarus, “Come out…” meaning, he is commanding you to come out of that addiction to sex, alcohol, gossip, witchcraft, backbiting et al.

9. Take a Leap of Faith: Stop weeping, put your trust in God, reclaim the promise he placed in your heart, take a leap of faith in the midst of the disillusionments and see the resurrection standing before you.

10. Trust God: You may have experienced many deaths and have being buried severally in the tombs like breakages in marriage, lack of peace in the family, unemployment and other unfortunate scenarios like being victims of crime, violence, rape, incest and abortion; bereavement of a loved one - husband, wife, father, mother, sister or brother but like he did to Lazarus, Jesus is able to change the narrative by giving you new life.

Summary Lines

1. Prophet Ezekiel encourages the remnant of Yahweh promising them that God would restore their land.

2. In second reading, St. Paul distinguishes between Sarkinos and Pneumatikos - flesh and Spirit.

3. The Gospel presents us with the raising of Lazarus to life after four days of being in the tomb.

4. We are told that after he told the people around to remove the stone, he prayed and called Lazarus out.

5. We are told that many of the Jews who witnessed the extraordinary event believed in Jesus.

Conclusion

In conclusion, God wants you to 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 he 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!