V/ My eyes are turned to you, O Lord.
R/ You are the joy and gladness of my youth.
V/ Grant me the Wisdom that sits by your throne.
R/ That I may dwell as a child in your presence.
Let us pray
Lord, during this Lent, I commit myself to You and ask that You take over my life. Remove distractions and fill me with Your spirit of love for my failings. Strengthen my resolve with Your power as I engage in prayer, fasting, and charity. Nurture my love for Your Word and keep me attuned to Your voice. Amen.
THE PROMISE OF ABUNDANT LIFE
Rev. Fr. Emeka K. Agboeze, OCD
Fifth Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 129(130); Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45
The season of Lent has made us sufficiently aware of our sinfulness and the consequence that derives from it: death, for as Ezekiel says, “The soul that sins shall die” (Ez. 18:20). In other words, we are the dry bones of today’s first reading, lifeless and lying forlorn on the ground. Yet, the hope of the Resurrection, to which we have now drawn very close, assures us that even the dry bones, “the bones you have crushed will rejoice” (Ps. 51:8) once again. Death cannot overpower God’s boundless love (cf. S.S. 8:6-7), not even the spiritual death which results from sin. Joseph Gelineau, in this respect, notes in a Lenten hymn that no one is too prodigal beyond God’s pardon; “no one is too far from God”.
Today’s Psalm affirms this: “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” He was able to redeem Lazarus from the jaws of death, from an extremely hopeless situation. Even beyond the grave, Lazarus was not too far from His reach. The Psalmist realised this much earlier: “Where can I go from your spirit… if I lie in the grave you are there” (Ps. 139:7-8). The raising of Lazarus tells us something about God’s power to save sinners who “cry out from the depths”.
St Augustine reflects on the three individuals Christ raised from the dead in the Gospels: Jairus’s daughter, the widow’s son at Nain, and Lazarus. Supposing the sinful soul to be spiritually dead, Augustine sees in these individuals three levels of sin. The young daughter of Jairus was dead but still in the house. She represents a sin committed inwardly, in the heart, such as lust (cf. Mt. 5:28) and wishing another ill (cf. Mt. 5:22). The young man of Nain was still on the way to the grave, but had not yet reached it. He represents a sin committed externally in act, a sin that has come out from the interior house of the soul. Finally, Lazarus was taken to the grave and buried. He represents those who have contaminated themselves through abominable habits—those of whom it could be said, as was said of Lazarus, “By now he smells”. For Augustine, the four days Lazarus spent in the grave represent how a soul arrives at evil habits through a fourfold progress: provocation of pleasure in the heart, consent, overt act, and finally, habit. Yet, Christ raised all of them from death.
All of these examples speak to me as an individual. These three grades could happen in my heart as three stages leading to spiritual corruption, as happened with the prodigal son. He first conceived and decided in his heart to ask for his inheritance. Then he actually asked for it and left, putting into action the desire of his heart. Finally, far from home, he lived a corrupt life. His father described him as dead and lost (cf. Lk. 15:32). But he received new life through the father’s merciful love.
This calls to mind St Thérèse’s solicitude for an unrepentant murderer, Henri Pranzini, who killed his lover, her twelve-year-old daughter, and their housekeeper. Through Thérèse’s prayers, the criminal made an act of love and gratitude towards Christ, kissing a crucifix thrice before his execution. Thérèse knew that Henri could not be too far from God. Christ died for him, too.
As we draw close to Christ’s Resurrection, we know by faith that sin and death do not have the final word. We share in Christ’s victory over sin and death, as St Paul exhorts us in the second reading: “Though your body may be dead, it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.” Our dry bones shall take flesh and live again. Let us confidently pray with the Psalmist: “My soul lies down in the dust; give me life according to your word” (Ps. 119:25).
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the Resurrection and the Life. Look with pity upon the dry bones of my spiritual life and breathe Your Holy Spirit into me. Call me out from the tomb of my sinful habits, and by Your boundless mercy, grant me the grace to live anew in Your love. Amen.
Ponder Questions
1. Have I in any way run away or hidden myself from God’s mercy?
2. Is there a sin I have persisted in, and will I allow Christ to raise me from it?
3. Have I lost hope or felt helpless with regard to a particular fault in my life?
Practice for the Week
Identify one specific “dry bone” or recurring fault in your spiritual life—whether it is a thought in the heart, an outward action, or a lingering habit. Take this specific struggle to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week, trusting entirely that you are not beyond God’s reach. Additionally, inspired by St Thérèse, offer a daily prayer for someone who seems entirely lost or far from God.
Phrase to Remember
“Our dry bones shall take flesh and live again.”