5TH Sunday of Lent year A -Reflections
29th March 2020
5TH Sunday of Lent year A
Readings
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Psalm 130
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45
Theme: Role the stone away!
Praise be Jesus Christ …. Now and forever Amen!
Tumsifu Yesu Kristu …. Milele na milele Amina!
Today is an extraordinary Sunday occasioned by the COVID 19. Following instructions and advice from the country’s leadership of the call to “STAY AT HOME” the faithful are not able to access their churches for the Sunday obligation. The physical Church may not be accessible but we can open our hearts to receive the Grace of God through the Word of God. At baptism we were raised to the status of priests, kings and prophets, and today more than ever we are called to exercise this ministry of our common priesthood. I welcome you all despite the current limitations, that you now open your hearts and minds to listen to the word of God.
NB:I urge you to read the readings so that the reflection may speak to you.
The prophet Ezekiel is giving hope to the Israelites who were locked up in exile that at the end of the tunnel there was a ray of hope. The prophet tells the people of Israel although they see themselves hopeless, and in a sense dead, ‘I will open your graves and raise you up’. Yes even today if we fix our eyes on the living God, He will raise us up. God promises the people that he will bring them back to their own land. Our Lord will bring us back to our normal schedules, he has spoken.
St. Paul invites to continue living in the Spirit of God. With the Spirit of He who raised Jesus from the dead we shall remain alive in the midst of the prevailing challenges.
The Gospel invites us to profess our faith in Jesus the resurrection and the life. Martha and Mary believed that the presence of Jesus would have made and will make a difference in the life of their brother Lazarus. So the two welcome Jesus not in the house or as many may suppose at the tomb, but in their hearts. At the tomb, when the stone is rolled away, Jesus calls Lazarus to come out, and he obeys. Even the dead obey the voice of God. Just like the graves of the Israelites were opened, now Jesus opens the tomb of Lazarus and he come out alive. The evangelist tells us that many of the Jews believed in Jesus – meaning they welcomed him in their hearts.
Brethren, although as Christians we have received the Spirit of the Lord, through sin we rolled big stones around us. Stones of pride, self-righteousness, false witness, hatred, lack of commitment in our family and communities, engaging in toxic relationships, drug abuse, fornication and adultery, corruption, neglecting the needy and poor neighbors, being too casual in our duties, etc. Today Jesus is asking that we role the stone away so that we can hear his voice calling us. Will you role the stone away brother, sister?
Lazarus came out ‘his feet and hands bound with bandages and his face wrapped with a cloth.’ Jesus said ‘unbind him, and let him go.’ This calls us to take seriously the Lenten invitation ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel.’ Through forgiving ourselves and others and attending the sacrament of confession – in this way we unbound ourselves. We can now live a new life of the Children of God.
As we heed the advice to observe basic hygiene and social distance let us pray that the sanctity and dignity of life may continue to be upheld as we fight the COVID 19. That God will preserve our physical life and at the end welcome to LIFE ETERNAL.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Fr. Boniface Kariuki
Catholic Chaplain KU
