IT’S TIME TO RISE!
Blessed 5th Sunday of Lent to you. Only 2 weeks more before we celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ Suffering, Death & Resurrection! Trust that your Lenten disciplines are bearing fruit & helping you draw closer to Jesus.
The readings for this 5th Sunday of Lent lead us into one of the most powerful moments in Scripture: the raising of Lazarus in the Gospel of John (John 11:1-45). Together with the prophetic promise from Ezekiel 37 and the teaching of Paul the Apostle in Romans 8, the Church invites us to reflect deeply on the themes of death, hope, and the life-giving power of God. As we approach the final days of Lent, these readings speak directly to our heart’s deep longing for renewal and resurrection.
I had earlier written a reflection on today’s readings here: RISE UP! — Church of the Holy Family
In the 1st Reading, the prophet Ezekiel proclaims a message to a people who feel spiritually dead and hopeless. Israel is in exile; their hopes & dreams as a nation seem finished. Into this despair, God declares: “I will open your graves and have you rise from them.” This powerful image reminds us that God’s power is not limited by human circumstances. Even when everything appears lost, God can bring new life.
Do we often feel that our own lives resemble the valley of dry bones that Ezekiel describes in the earlier verses not in today’s readings (see Ezekiel 37:1-11)? Have we experienced moments of spiritual fatigue, discouragement, or sin that make us feel distant from God? Lent is a perfect time for us to honestly confronts these realities. Yet the message for us is not condemnation – it is Hope! God does not abandon us in our graves of despair. Instead, He promises to breathe His Spirit into us again. The same Spirit that God promised to raise Israel & bring them back from a miserable exile in Babylon continues to renew & restore our hearts & lives today!
Today’s Responsorial Psalm from the Book of Psalms Number 130, echoes this cry of hope: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” These words express our deepest human prayer – the prayer that comes when we recognize our utter helplessness & our complete dependence on God. The psalmist does not hide his weakness; he cries out from the depths. Yet the psalm is ultimately filled with trust: As we sing in our Response: “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” (cf Psalm 130:7)
This psalm reminds us that repentance is not simply about guilt. True repentance leads us to confidence in God’s mercy. The Letter to the Hebrew Chapter 4 Verse 16 encourages: “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Lent teaches us to turn toward God with humility, confidence & trust, knowing that His love is greater than our sin. Even when we feel trapped in darkness, the Lord listens to our cry.
In the second reading, St Paul explains how this new life becomes real in us. He contrasts life “in the flesh” with life “in the Spirit.” To live in the Spirit means allowing God’s presence to guide our thoughts, choices & relationships. St Paul reminds us that the same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives within believers. This is an astonishing promise. The power of the Resurrection is not only something we celebrate at Easter – it is a power already at work in our lives.
When we live according to the Spirit, we begin to experience freedom from fear, selfishness, and sin. The Spirit renews our hearts and gives us the strength to love as Christ loves. Lent therefore becomes a time of spiritual awakening, a season in which we allow God to restore life within us.
All these themes reach their climax in the Gospel story of Lazarus. Jesus receives word that His friend Lazarus is seriously ill. The sisters, Martha & Mary, send for Him with great trust. Yet Jesus does something surprising: He delays His journey. By the time He arrives, Lazarus has already been dead for four days.
At first glance, this delay seems puzzling. Why would Jesus wait when someone He loves is suffering? But through this delay, Jesus reveals a deeper truth. He declares to Martha one of the most profound statements in the Gospel: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
Jesus does not merely bring resurrection – HE IS RESURRECTION!
Before performing the miracle, Jesus is deeply moved by the grief around Him. The shortest verse in the Bible tells us that Jesus wept. This moment reveals the heart of Christ. God is not distant from human suffering; He enters into it. He shares our sorrow and walks with us in our grief. Then Jesus calls out in a loud voice: “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man walks out from the tomb, bound with the grave cloths & wrappings.
This miracle is not only about Lazarus. It is a sign pointing to something much greater: the victory of Christ over death itself. Soon, Jesus Himself will enter the tomb, and through His Resurrection He will open the way to eternal life for all.
Today’s Gospel also invites us to ponder a personal question: What tombs still hold us captive? Sometimes our tombs are habits of sin, resentment, or fear. Sometimes they are discouragement or a loss of faith. Like Lazarus, we may feel bound by the “burial cloths” of our past. But the voice of Christ continues to call each of us by name. “Come out.”
Lent is the season in which we hear that call more clearly. Through prayer, repentance, and acts of love, we allow Jesus to lead us out of darkness and into newness & fullness of life.
As we move closer to Holy Week, the Church reminds us that resurrection always follows the cross. The story of Lazarus prepares us to witness the greatest mystery of our faith: the death and resurrection of Christ.
In the end, the message of this Sunday is simple yet profound: God is the God of life. No situation is beyond His power to redeem. No heart is too hardened for His grace to transform.
If we listen carefully, we will hear the same voice of Jesus that called Lazarus from the tomb speaking to us today. And when we respond, we begin to experience the new life that God has promised – both now and forever.
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead