SHARING SPIRITUAL FOOD: St. Catherine of Siena, Ripon, WI - Fr. Davies Edassery
LENT V [A] SUNDAY (March 29): Ez 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45
Resurrection hope is the central theme of the Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. We can see the progression in themes from the thirst for living water (on the Third Sunday of Lent), through the desire to be healed of our spiritual blindness (Fourth Sunday) to our ultimate desire to share in eternal life with the risen Lord (Fifth Sunday).
Death and resurrection are the themes that permeate today’s Scripture lessons. The Psalmist (Ps 130), singing, “I trust in the Lord, my soul trusts in His word. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,” awaits Yahweh’s redemption both for himself and for Israel. Reporting his vision in the first reading, Ezekiel bears witness to the reanimation of the dead Israel in preparation for her return to the Promised Land. He guarantees his community in exile that Yahweh will one day bring them back to live in the freedom of the Promised Land. He assures God’s people that not even death will stop Him from carrying out this promise. Yahweh states, “I will open your graves, have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” St. Paul, in the second reading, assures the early Roman Christians, who were facing death by persecution, and us, who are surrounded by a culture of death, that the same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead and Who dwells within us will raise our mortal bodies to Life on the Last Day. Paul considers the Resurrection of Jesus as a reality, the ground of our Faith and the basis for our hope of sharing in Jesus’ Resurrection. For John, in today’s Gospel, the raising of Lazarus is the final and greatest sign of Jesus, the Deliverer, a symbolic narrative of Jesus’ victory over death at the cost of his own human life, and a sign anticipating his Resurrection. Describing this great miracle, the Church assures us that we, too, will be raised into eternal life after our battle with sin and death in this world. Thus, resurrection hope is the central theme of the Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The readings assure us that our faith in Jesus, who is “the Resurrection and the Life,” promises our participation in resurrection and new life.
Pope calls the world to pray the Lord’s Prayer
At this time of uncertainty and anxiety with our churches closed for public worship, Pope Francis has called on the world’s Christians and people of goodwill to join together to pray the Lord’s Prayer. The ‘Our Father’ is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples and the first prayer many of us learned to pray.
Adoration and Urbi et Orbi blessing. The ceremony will consist in readings from the Scriptures, prayers of supplication, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; and will conclude with Pope Francis giving the Urbi et orbi Blessing, with the possibility of gaining a plenary indulgence for all those who listen to it live through the various forms of communication. The blessing “to the City [of Rome] and to the World” is normally only given on Christmas and Easter.
Let us pray together, The Lord’s Prayer:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
I encourage you to continue with isolation and doing our part to help stop this virus, and remain positive, healthy and happy. Blessings…