by Sister Ann Rehrauer
This fifth week, our Lenten journey draws us closer to Jerusalem and the final events of Jesus’ life, and the Scripture readings prepare us with the themes of spirit, death, and life.
Ezekiel the Prophet and St. Paul remind us of the promise of new life that is ours because God’s Spirit dwells within us -- even now.
The miraculous raising of Lazarus recounted in the Gospel echoes similar themes of life coming in spite of death, and prefiguring what will later happen in Jerusalem.
Jesus travels to Bethany which is just two miles from Jerusalem – very aware that the religious leaders there are looking to kill him. Yet he makes the journey because his good friend, Lazarus, has died, and his sisters are grieving. When Jesus arrives, both sisters, Martha and Mary, express grief at their brother's death, yet both profess a deep faith in their expression, "if only you had been here - you could have saved Lazarus". And Martha takes a step further by adding, "but even now I know whatever you ask of God, he will do".
All of us have experienced grief and pain at the death of a loved one - no matter how strong our faith is. We may have prayed for a cure or an easing of suffering. We may have prayed in anger or with the faith expression, "if you loved me ... my (mother, father, child) would not have died". There is a profound sense of helplessness in the experience of a final loss.
For Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, there is a reprieve as Lazarus is returned to life and given back to his family. For Jesus – there will be a short period of time in the tomb before he returns to life on Easter morning. But return, he does.
For those of us who wait in faith, the return of our deceased loved ones comes in various ways and at different times – in memories of their words or smile, as we see objects which remind us of experiences we’ve shared, and sometimes even in a tangible sense of their loving presence. The final physical reunion comes only later as we are reunited in eternity. Until then, we wait in joyful hope and profess our belief in the “communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” And we are comforted by that belief because of the Spirit dwelling in us, the same Spirit who raised Jesus.
This week, as we pray the Creed, perhaps we can call to mind and pray in solidarity with and for those in our family and community who have suffered the loss of a friend or relative and are struggling to believe that death is not the end, but merely a passage to new life, and that we shall all be reunited in the fullness of time.