Answering the Call
Next Sunday, Jesus’s ministry reaches its earthly climax with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem marking the beginning of Holy Week. Today’s Gospel, as recorded by St. John, provides an impetus for the fervor of the crowd as Jesus performs arguably his greatest sign in raising Lazarus from the dead. This Gospel stands out as a beautiful demonstration of the reality of Jesus Christ being both God and man.
Jesus comes to Bethany at the request of his friends. Martha and Mary have sent Him word that Lazarus their brother is gravely ill. Jesus comes to Bethany, though later than Martha and Mary had hoped for, and finds that Lazarus is dead; in fact, he has been buried for four days. At the reality of Lazarus’s death and the grief of Martha and Mary, John records for us that Jesus weeps. This is a detail that we cannot simply pass over. It is important for us to see that Jesus truly did assume our human nature and that, like us, he was affected by the tragedies and sorrows of life.
Here we see how wondrously our shared human nature is joined in Jesus with his divinity. Jesus comes to Lazarus’s tomb and, over protestations, asks that the stone be rolled away. In what must have been an astonishing moment, Jesus then calls Lazarus forth from the darkness of the tomb back to life, showing that He truly is the Lord of life. In these late Lenten days, as we enter into Passiontide, we need to remember that Jesus Christ shares in our human trials and at the same time offers us the grace to be lifted above them. Jesus is no stranger to frustration, disappointment, uncertainty, and even fear. He truly is one with us in all things but sin. At the same time, He is the God who is calling us out of darkness and beyond our fears into light and hope.
Entering Passiontide
This Sunday marks a turn in our Lenten journey; with the coming of the Fifth Sunday of Lent we now enter into the second part of this penitential season known as Passiontide. This time is marked by our use of the custom of veiling images in the Church, which not only mark a liturgical shift but also invites us to sharpen our focus. While the custom predates the reforms following Vatican II, when the Gospel for this Sunday (John, chapter 8) mentioned Jesus hiding himself from the crowds, the covering of these images, this “deprivation” of our sense of sight is meant to heighten our listening to the Word of God which will focus on our Lord’s impending passion, death, and resurrection.
Make Plans for Holy Week
I want to invite you to prayerfully consider participating in all of the celebrations of Holy Week. The celebration of Easter (Masses at 8:00AM and 10:00AM) has a completely different feel when it is preceded by the celebrations of Holy Thursday (5:30PM) and Good Friday (5:30PM). If you have never been to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday (8:00PM), please consider doing so. This year we have the joy of being able to welcome Linda into the fullness of the faith through the reception of the Easter Sacraments. On Tuesday of Holy Week, at 6:30PM, Bishop Paprocki will celebrate the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral when the Holy Oils will be blessed and consecrated, and when the priests of the diocese will renew their priestly commitment. This is another beautiful Mass that I invite you to consider attending.
On a final note, the Wednesday evening Stations of the Cross during Holy Week (April 5th, 5:30PM) will be the living Stations offered by our grade school students. All are welcome!
An Unexpected Absence
I am away from CTK this weekend, out of state actually, for the funeral of the mom of one of my best friends; I’ll be back in the parish late Sunday. Janet was a wonderful lady and I’m honored to be able to celebrate her funeral Mass. Janet was a tremendous nurse and from her home in Florida she actually took charge of my care when I had COVID back in its first year, checking in with me constantly during those days.
Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!
Father Chris House