Here's a short reflection on today's Gospel:
We see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This is terrifying because it confronts us with our own mortality, like Lazarus we're destined for death. As Ash Wednesday reminds us, "Remember, O Man, that thou art dust and to dust thou shall return."
Rather than face this unsettling truth we're inclined to run from it, to pretend immortality, and the culture around us bolsters the myth. We live in a world which has pushed death to the sideline, as if by denying it we will by some strange alchemy remove its specter. "You will not surely die," says the snake, eat of the apple "and you will be as God." (Gen. 3:4-5)
Satanic deceit and DFTR aside, the recent crisis has punctured the bubble of our supposed, godlike immortality. A disease looms over us which can be fatal, we must thank God that it's not more so, and over which we have little control, there is no cure.
No wonder, then, that society around us is panicking. Our mortality, the very thing we've imagined out of existence, stares us in the face, the bubble is burst. Today's Gospel confronts us with the reality and tragedy of the thing. Lazarus is dead, Jesus wept. But consider.
Lazarus is dead and can do nothing about it, he has no power to help himself in the grave and neither do we. Christ, however, does. He raises his friend to life, "Lazarus, come forth!" and Lazarus returns, alive, after four days in the tomb.
We see that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, has power over death. He defeats it himself, dying on the Cross only to rise again, triumphant over Hell, and he will raise us up too, his friends, his faithful, as he raised Lazarus.
So, in the words of our Lord who walked over the waters to his disciples, "be not afraid." (Jn. 6:20) Have no fear, we live in Christ, we are his friends, and neither the grave nor Pit has any power over us. We share in his victory, alive in him, to everlasting life.
Take courage and rejoice in the mystery of our salvation and may God bless, preserve and keep you all, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Here endeth the Lesson,
LSP
18 comments:
Excellent, LSP
I am not worthy to add one teeny thing.
Have a wonderful Sunday and God bless.
Mass online today wasn't too bad since Erica had already hied off to Frankie's bed so I didn't have a kitteh playing with my missal ribbons. Actually - I think God may have thought it was cute.
I'm going to take a run at Costco again tomorrow (no more old people time for this youngster)
Amen. Thank you, Lord.
I was wondering, what ever happen to Lazarus after being raised from the dead?
Good lesson.
I heard recently that the thought was that it wasn't so hard to raise the freshly dead. Up to three days. ( I haven't found it that easy.)
So that's why Mary was upset that Jesus stalled over three days.
Up til then, in the words of Miracle Max, "He was only mostly dead.".
So Jesus stalled to prove a point.
I've also heard, that it was good that Jesus was specific in calling Lazarus, instead of a generic "Come forth!".
The post reanimation of Lazarus story would be an interesting one. How long did he live, what did he do, etc.??
Thank you, Adrienne. I'm not a fan of the newfangled lectionary but its choice of Gospel certainly spoke today.
Kitteh and missal ribbons? I'm sure God approves. Unlike, say, the carry on in certain places I won't mention for fear of scandalizing the already scandalized faithful.
Be careful at Costco, looking forward to the report!
Bless you, Linda.
I think, Ed, that they thought the soul hadn't fully departed the body until that time. Whatever the case, four days ensured death and of course there's numerical significance. Lazarus is raised on the fourth day, Christ on the third. In the same way, our resurrection follows on, a new day of creation.
Perhaps the pattern of Genesis is telling. On the third day God created dry ground, the earth. This is fulfilled in Christ, on whom the Spirit rests as the dove rests on the dry ground which rises above the flood. On the fourth day God created the sun, moon and stars. This is us, the fulfillment of patriarchal promise, you shall be as many as the "stars of heaven."
Calling Lazarus by name? I'd say there's deep and terrifying wisdom in that. You might enjoy Charles Williams' novels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Williams_(British_writer)
They say, LL, that he lived another 30 or so years and became a bishop in either Cyprus or Merseilles(!) depending on which tradition you follow. I'm inclined towards the former, and an ancient coffin was found (1972) beneath the Altar of Lazarus' cathedral church in Larnaka with the simple inscription "Friend." Interesting stuff.
Legend has it that the saintly bishop was grim and rarely laughed or spoke. He had seen the reality of Gehenna.
DFTR.
See above comment to LL, EasyCompany. It's an interesting story and I'll post it. Other figures come to mind too, such as Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan Woman and on.
God bless.
Thanks.
Yes. In a nutshell - DFTR
Powerful words that resonate on many levels, and not the least of which is our mortality and our hopes to succeed in this life as well as the next. Thnx LSP
That fourth day symbolism is awesome and powerful, esp in these dark times.
See if you get on with Williams, Ed, if you get the chance. Not everyone's thing but I've always been a fan. Of course he was a big friend of Lewis, Tolkien and all of that.
Right on, Juliette.
Good luck with TP, Pasta and Chicken!
Thanks, GL, I appreciate it. And be careful in the Motorway City, please.
Ed and GL -- I know you can "kick the pants" out of exegetical typology but I think the 3-4 thing holds. And Scripture's inexhaustible, so.
God bless.
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