The long, densely layered account of the raising of Lazarus evokes many questions for anyone pondering this Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Lent, participating in the baptism of the elect during the Easter Vigil, or attending a funeral.
Today’s readings invite us to examine how we make significant choices. They offer Mary, the mother of Jesus, as an example for reflection. "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you…You have found favor with God" (LK 1:28, 30).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life.” With the sacrament of baptism, Christians live out these words, being crucified with Christ and rising to eternal life (Gal. 2: 20).
In Ezekiel’s vision, the water was not simply coming from the temple in any direction but toward the east. The crucifixion of our Lord is, by no means, the end of the story.
Creation is alive because of God—a truth, many do not recognize. But we do. So did the tax collector. He recognized this truth and the painful truth that he was a sinner.
We all have our temptations, and indeed, demons do exist. If we ever hope to share in the calm bliss depicted on St. Anthony’s face, then may God direct us to focus on Jesus’ power to heal and save our lives.
A fun road trip had suddenly, unexpectedly gone very bad. Before leaving the lot, I removed our personal things from the glove box and other storage with the last item being the crucifix hanging from the rearview mirror.
St. Josemaria Escriva says that “Grace works in us like a magnifying glass, and even the tiniest speck of dust or an almost invisible grain of sand can appear immensely large.”
Jesus invites the chief priests, the elders, and us all to reflect on how “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Jesus reminds us at the beginning of today’s Gospel passage and at the end, that he came to ransom many. I sit in the first pew on the right at Mass so that I can remove the distractions that threaten to take my mind from the sacrifice at hand.