The story of Lazarus coming forth from the tomb, once dead and now alive again, is a familiar Gospel passage (John 11:1-44). We know that this miracle, the climax of the seven signs John recorded, is a type of prefiguring of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Lazarus, who had died, was not resurrected, but was resuscitated. Jesus who also died, was not resuscitated, but resurrected. Also, after resuscitation Lazarus looked the same and essentially was the same because his old life had been renewed. After the Resurrection Jesus looked different because He was different: He had new life.* This is why the timing of the proclamation of this passage on the 5th Sunday of Lent is important: it is presented as Lent is about to come to a climax. Seven days after we are presented with this Gospel, we enter Holy Week, and so this reading comes right before the darkest, most intense part of Lent, a time when we may be struggling a little and new life feels quite far off. Within this passage Jesus made a reference to light which might be helpful as a message to persevere if we are indeed flagging. Don’t fret, because Jesus understands. He, too, struggled with staying the course, such as when He was in the Garden or in the three times that He stumbled under the weight of what He carried. But He stood up again and kept going to the bitter end so that we could have new life. We are not there yet, so we, too, must stand up again and keep going. As we accompany Him to the Cross this Holy Week, remember: He needs us to do that. 

We do not know what was going on in the mind of Lazarus as he lay ill and dying. We can imagine that his sisters Martha and Mary assured him that they had sent word to Jesus so that He would come. All three knew that Jesus could heal Lazarus, or at the very least, be there to comfort him as he died. Thus, we can imagine Lazarus (if he was conscious) and his sisters had an expectation that in the end, was not met: Jesus did not come as they requested. An important point to ponder is found here. The passage clearly states that these were dear friends of Jesus. Martha’s message to Him was, “Master, the one you love is ill.” This is followed by, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus….” Yet, Jesus delayed going back to Bethany intentionally. (John 11:4-7) Therefore, it seems odd that Jesus would not immediately go to them. However, we are privileged to have a view that no one at the time had because John indicated Jesus was going to do something far more powerful and important for Lazarus, and for all of us, through his illness and death. That His love for them is emphasized in these lines makes it obvious that John wanted us to understand the depth of Jesus’ love not only for His friend, but for us, and that, Jesus could never forget our love for Him: He wept at Lazarus’ tomb even though He knew what He was going to do. The delay in going was not a lack of care, but rather it was precisely because of His care. **

Another verse to ponder is the seemingly cryptic response Jesus gave to the apostles who were frightened at the thought of Jesus returning to Judea. Jesus said, “If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After the previous week’s Sunday Gospel about the blind man being healed (sign #6) we might wonder if Jesus was reminding them of blindness, and perhaps He was. But it also seems that Jesus was indicating that if we are in the darkness, (which we can think of as a reference to the deepest part of Lent), then we need to be patient and persevere because the light of resurrection is coming. Therefore, if we are struggling because ‘Lent is dragging on,’ or if we feel guilty because somehow, we have not kept our Lenten intentions going as we had expected, let us remember that Jesus knows we sometimes stumble. Therefore, we need to trust Him, continuing with the help of grace to work on the areas which we resolved to work upon, and keep on heading into the deeper darkness knowing that there will be light soon. This is not to say that all our problems and struggles will go away at the end of Lent. But it means He offers transformation through His mercy and we can be reassured that because He overcame suffering, sin, and even death, at the end of our earthly life we will be saved. 

Let us take this Gospel message into our Holy Week prayer and meditation; it is important to enter into each stage of the Passion of Jesus. Even if we cannot stay awake like Peter, James, and John in the Garden, even if we cannot tolerate the sight of blood and the suffering at the scourging and crowning with thorns, and even if we think we cannot bear to get near the cross as He is crucified and dying, let us pick up where we fell with Him and keep moving toward the Cross. It is the only road to the Resurrection. 

May we persevere in our Lenten observance! May we have the courage to get up again if we stumble and fall! May we be attentive to the Lord as He is present in our struggling brothers and sisters, reaching out to one another as we travel the same road! And may we trust in the Light of the World who overcame all darkness! Let us meet at the foot of the Cross along with Mother Mary and John! Peace!

​                         ©Michele L. Catanese

​* I am ‘painting with a broad brush’ in these comments. That is, I am not comparing every detail, because if I was doing that, there would be many more details in the specific events to be discussed. 
** In his Gospel, John highlights 7 signs (miracles) performed by Jesus which progress with greater impact and power as they are revealed. There is much symbolism involved, such as 7 being symbolic of perfection, Sacraments being ‘explained’ (the Woman at the Well), and many other things too detailed to explain here.

Note: Here is a litany I have composed which perhaps you might like to reflect upon and pray during Holy Week. The point is to fully enter into our part in Jesus’ Passion while keeping faith in His promises that light will follow the darkness:
For the moment of agony to which I contributed when You were in the Garden, have mercy on me.
For the strike of the lash which was from my hardness of heart, have mercy on me.
For the thorn my obstinance put in the crown that pierced Your head, have mercy on me.
For the splinter from the wood of the cross and the blows You received as You carried the cross which resulted from my refusal to forgive, have mercy on me.
For the blow of the hammer which came from my sinfulness, have mercy on me.
Jesus, I as accompany you to Calvary, I offer my sorrow, but also my gratitude. May the power of your mercy, forgiveness, and love be the transforming and healing light which is fully realized at Easter! Amen! Jesus, I trust in you!

Images:
1. Painting; Lazarus’ Tomb, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested you can purchase a copy of this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lazarus-tomb-william-hart-mcnichols.html
2. Icon; St. Lazarus of Bethany, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested you can purchase a copy of this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-lazarus-of-bethany-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. Painting; Starry Night Over the Rhone, Vincent van Gogh, 1888, Wikimedia Commons, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
4. My photo; ancient olive tree at entrance to the Garden of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel.
5. Painting; Lumière de Provence by Michel Moreau (b. 1940).
6. Icons; Passion Triptych, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. (Our Lady of Sorrows and St. John the Apostle are on either side of Jesus Christ Extreme Humility.) If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this triptych or of any of the three icons contained within it, you can find all of these at fineartamerica.com/featured/passion-triptych-william-hart-mcnichols.html


Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

The Office of Readings is a wonderful vehicle for prayer and reflection. It is the first prayer ‘hour’ of the Liturgy of the Hours, sometimes referred to as The Divine Office, a beautiful cycle of prayer with Scripture.* A distinctive part of this first hour is the final reading, a passage usually taken from an early Church Father or a Doctor of the Church. One such reading, entitled Prayer is the Light of the Spirit, came at the beginning of Lent. It was taken from a homily by Saint John Chrysostom, a bishop of the 4th and early 5th century, from Antioch, Türkiye. As I read it, I thought of the line in Psalm 119 which connects God’s word with light: “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105) In truth, as we pray with Scripture, our prayer brings us light because it opens us to God. Therefore, during Lent it is good to enter into prayer as a response to His call and as an immersion into the light of God in a deeper way; we must desire to recognize His presence and hear His voice, and therefore to receive the graces He offers through the Holy Spirit. Remember, we do not pray to enlighten God, (He already knows everything), but to become enlightened by Him, and so to grow closer. Prayer teaches listening, and in turn, listening teaches us to love.

In his homily St. John Chrysostom said: “Practice prayer from the beginning. Paint your house with the colors of modesty and humility. Make it radiant with the light of justice. Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer. In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive him as in a splendid palace, and through his grace you will already possess him, his image enthroned in the temple of your spirit.” The imagery that he uses is in itself, radiant; it is no wonder St. John was given the nickname, Chrysostom, which in Greek means “golden mouthed.”** Thus, he is teaching that the process and the effects of prayer will bring many virtues, most specifically that it will fill our hearts with beauty which will move us outward in love to others as our response of love. 

Through prayer the graces of modesty and humility can increase within us. These are characteristics of holiness, and they are the posture with which we should come before the Lord. As we “paint our house” it becomes “radiant with justice, decorated by the gold leaf of good deeds.” This is indeed what we are called to do with greater depth during the season of Lent: prayer brings healing, wholeness, and freedom which in turn gives birth to kindness, works of mercy, compassion, faith, and generosity, (ways of making a self-offering in love). These please the Lord as our gift to Him because in so doing, that is, by growing in holiness, we open ourselves to His Heart with greater intimacy. What is especially beautiful in what St. John Chrysostom said is that through the practice of prayer and our response to grace, we receive God as in a splendid palace: through prayer our heart becomes a dwelling fitting for the King of our Heart.

​To recognize our own heart as a splendid palace is no small thing. However, we probably need to clean house in order to bring our heart back to the kind of palace it is meant to be, a large part of what Lent is meant to do. During our prayer and reflection, we can recognize where we need to sweep out all that impedes our relationship and turn away from it, making a ‘return’ to the Lord. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, the gift of God’s mercy which cleanses and heals, is the most effective way to receive the needed graces. Thus, our prayer brings light to the dark places within, enabling the freedom to respond through humble acts of generosity, mercy, and kindness; we become as a lamp for others. Jesus said that we are to be light to the world, a light which should not be kept under a bushel basket, but should shine to guide others to Him. (Matt. 5: 14-16) The fruit of our prayer will be in the brighter light within our hearts which we bring out into the darkness of the world where God’s light is so greatly needed. 

Prayer is the key to our relationship with God since we cannot really know someone with whom we never spend time; and subsequently, if we do not know Him as He wishes to be known, it is most difficult to fall in love (or more deeply in love) with Him. Falling in love with God will not only bring greater light to our soul, but it will inspire us to make a response of love to Him. That is, prayer is the leaven for our response; the more we know the Lord and love Him, the greater our offering of generosity and love to others. During this season of Lent, it is important to be consistent with our efforts at abstinence, the purpose of which is to open us to deeper prayer and to foster generosity and almsgiving, (no matter the size of the gesture). It is prayer that will move us more deeply into the beautiful palace that our love builds for God. Prayer is the Light of the Spirit!

May we reflect upon the image of God enthroned within our hearts that we might enter into prayer more deeply! May our hearts become as a splendid palace for Him! And may the Light of God within our hearts enable us to become light to others! Let us meet in the palace of our heart with the Lord! Peace!

                                   ©Michele L. Catanese

* The Liturgy of the Hours (The Divine Office) is a cycle of prayer that encompasses the entire Book of Psalms in a four-week period, repeated throughout the year and includes readings and reflections specific to the liturgical seasons. Included in each Hour are petitions, reflections, and readings from the Old and New Testament, along with the Lord’s Prayer, and in some of the Hours, a canticle such as the Magnificat. In this order the Hours are: the Office of Readings (Matins), Morning Prayer (Lauds), Midmorning Prayer (Terce), Midday Prayer (Sext), Midafternoon Prayer (None), Evening Prayer (Vespers), and Night Prayer (Compline). Many cloistered or monastic communities pray all the Hours every day and of these, some congregations add early Morning prayer at sunrise (Prime). Every day all priests, deacons, and many religious Sisters and Brothers pray the two most important hours, Morning and Evening Prayer, which are often called the ‘hinges’ of the Liturgy of the Hours. I must also add that many of the laity also pray these two Hours.
** For some information about St. John Chrysostom go to https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-chrysostom/

Images:
1. Photo; the four volumes of The Liturgy of the Hours.
2. Icon; St. John Chrysostom, unknown iconographer.
3. Painting; Bedroom in Arles (La Chambre à Arles), by Vincent van Gogh (1889), Public Domain.
4. My photo; sun immerging from storm clouds, off Grand Cayman.
5. Painting; Works of Mercy, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Olivuccio di Ciccarello.
6. Icon; Mother of God of Kosovo, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this icon and many others at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-of-kosovo-087-william-hart-mcnichols.html
​
Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.