 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.
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