Fifth Sunday of Lent
Jn 11:1 - 45

       Last week's gospel told how Jesus cured the man born blind. This weekend, he goes one better. He raises a dead man to life. What must have been Martha's thoughts as she saw the master stand before the grave in which her brother had been buried for four days and call out his name in a loud voice. 'Lazarus, come out!'? She could well have felt that Jesus must be cracking up under the grief of losing his good friend. After such a long time, there could now be no way in which Lazarus could come back. But come back he did. Surely this Jesus must be very special, one whose call could be heard and answered no matter what the obstacle, even through death itself.

       This weekend, Jesus calls us again to come out of the tomb of our selfishness. Maybe we feel we are too settled to change. We have been so long in the grave of our mediocrity and sin that we could not possibly expect to respond. It was not his own strength that enabled Lazarus to return to life but the power of God. It is this same power that calls us and enables us to break out of the fetters of fear-filled self-centeredness to serve our neighbor and our God in a new life of generous love. Now is an opportunity for us to hear his call and to receive his power to be changed to a better life.

 

(Commentary by Tom Clancy. Taken from "Preaching the Word", Columba)