Fifth Sunday of Lent — Year A
π Today's Readings
- First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12–14
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8
- Second Reading: Romans 8:8–11
- Gospel: John 11:1–45
π️ "Come Out! — When Jesus Calls You from the Tomb"
π Reflection
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today the Church places before us one of the most dramatic and tender miracles in all of the Gospels — the raising of Lazarus. We are one week away from Palm Sunday, and the Lord is showing us, with unmistakable power, who He is before He walks to His own death: He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. He is dead. Not sleeping, not ill — dead. When Martha meets Jesus on the road, she says with beautiful faith and barely-concealed grief: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Notice she does not blame. She simply states her faith. And Jesus responds with the most extraordinary self-revelation: "I am the Resurrection and the Life."
Then something remarkable happens. Jesus weeps. The Son of God, who already knows He is about to raise Lazarus, weeps at the tomb. Why? Because He sees Mary and her friends weeping. Because He enters into the suffering of those He loves. This is not weakness in Our Lord — it is the infinite tenderness of God, who is not distant from our grief but deeply within it.
Then comes the command: "Lazarus, come out!" And out he comes — still wrapped in burial cloths, blinking in the light, alive.
This scene is meant for each of us. We all have our tombs. Perhaps it is a sin we have carried for years, sealed up like a stone. Perhaps it is bitterness, or grief, or despair, or a deadness in our spiritual life. God knows where our tomb is. And He is standing at the entrance today, calling your name.
Ezekiel's vision in the First Reading confirms this: "I will open your graves and have you rise from them." And St. Paul tells the Romans that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us. The power of the Resurrection is not a distant future reality. It is at work in you, right now, in this Lent.
One week before Holy Week, let the Lord roll away whatever stone has sealed your heart. Let Him call you out. And when He does — walk toward the light.
π‘ One Simple Message for Today Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life — not just on the last day, but today. Let Him call you out of whatever tomb is holding you.
π A Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, You wept at the tomb of Lazarus, and You weep at the tombs I have built around my own heart. Roll away the stone. Call my name. Give me the courage to come out, to leave the darkness behind, and to walk in the light of Your grace. Amen.
πΏ Lenten Practice for Today
Make an examination of conscience today. Is there a "Lazarus" in your life — something dead that Jesus is calling back to life? Consider going to Confession this week as your personal "Come out!" moment. Let this Sunday be the day you take that step.
May the Lord bless you and keep you close to His Sacred Heart this holy season. π️
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