Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Today, our readings remind us of our future. Resurrection!
In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah God says, not once, but twice, “I will open your graves and have you rise from them.”
In the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, he writes, “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” He reminds us that we must allow the Spirit of Christ to dwell within us — it is that Spirit that unites us to the eternal God who can and does give us eternal life.
The Gospel is the account of Jesus coming to the tomb of his good friend, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. His body was already beginning to decompose as Jesus asks them to remove the stone that was covering his tomb. They said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench.”
Jesus, however, wants to give the people a glimpse of his power over death and his ability to give life. He cries out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” This is the same voice that spoke over the formless void at the beginning of time, “Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3)? And just as light was made in the darkness for the first time, Lazarus, upon hearing the Word of God spoken over him, came out of the darkness of the grave into the light of a new day for him. God’s Word makes things happen — even the dead can be raised by one word from God.
But Lazarus eventually died again, as we all must eventually die.
Yet, in our belief in the resurrection of the body, Jesus will one day speak over our graves, “Come out!” And we will rise up again, never to return to our tombs. It will be the Spirit within us that flows from our baptism and allows us to hear the Word of God, “Come out” and respond to it by rising up forever.
Today, let us remember the words of Jesus, who said, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
Good news for us indeed!
Have a blessed week everyone.