5TH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Ezekiel 37:12-14

Romans 8:8-11

John 11:1-45

GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED US!

Our Easter celebration is close at hand. Thus, our first reading reminds us of God’s promise of liberation and restoration to the Israelites in exile. The gospel reading narrates the miracle of the raising of Lazarus through which Jesus reveals himself as the Lord of life. While St Paul in the second reading highlights our Christian participation in the victory of Christ over death thanks to the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. 

The context of Ezekiel’s prophecy is the vision of the dry bones, by which the prophet metaphorically describes the painful experience of the Babylonian exile. With the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of its Temple as well as the deportation in 586 BC, the people of Israel thought that God had abandoned them. Their hope was gone. They were like dry bones, lifeless corpses in the tomb. And yet, God promises them restoration. He will put his Spirit in them and they shall live. He will “open their grave”, raise them up and restore them on their land. 

In the gospel, Jesus miraculously gave life back to Lazarus who had been in the tomb for four days. The core statement of the story is when Jesus said to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life." Indeed, Jesus has power to give life and raise the dead for the manifestation of God’s glory. But to see the glory of God, one must believe: "If you believe, you will see the glory of God," he said to Martha. 

In this perspective, today’s readings invite us to trust in God no matter what, for he is able to revive us, to open our graves and restore us. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a great fear, panic, agony, distress and suffering in the whole world. Like the people of Israel in exile, some of us think that God has abandoned us. Others have lost hope. Still others like Martha and Mary are mourning the loss of their loved ones: “If you were here, my brother would not have died”, they seem to say in desperation. And yet, the Lord tells us: “Do not be afraid; I am with you!” May he grant us a firm and immovable faith so that we may remain steadfast and tranquil even in hopeless situations. Amen