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Sunday Scripture Study

Fifth Sunday of Lent- Cycle A

April 6, 2014

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Opening Prayer

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14

Psalm: 130:1-8

Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11

Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45

In John’s gospel, there are traditionally seven great signs performed by Jesus that point to his divinity, beginning with his turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2:11). This Sunday’s gospel relates the raising of Lazarus, the last and greatest sign, and the one that leads directly to the Jewish leaders’ decision to kill Jesus—and Lazarus too, for that matter (John 11:46-54, 12:9-11).

Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary were close friends of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42) and Jesus apparently stayed at their home in Bethany when visiting Jerusalem (Bethany, on the other side of the Mount of Olives, was about 2 miles to the east). From the Scriptures, it is clear that Jesus loved them very much (verses 3,5,11,35,36).

When Martha and Mary send word to Jesus of Lazarus’ illness and he delays, both sisters evidence great faith, though they don’t understand Jesus’ actions.

By this miracle, Jesus is proved to be the Son of God, increasing the faith of his disciples (verse 15), Martha and Mary (verses 26-40), and the rest of the people (verses 36,45).

QUESTIONS:

How does the First Reading relate to the events in the Gospel? What are its implications for all those who hope in Christ?

According to St. Paul in the 2nd Reading, why should we put our trust in Christ’s promise of the resurrection (verses 10-11)?

In the Gospel, why does Jesus deliberately delay in his response (verse 6)? Given the disciple’s objection (verse 8), what do you think Jesus means by his parable in verse 9-10?

Why does Jesus return to Lazarus when he does (Verses 11-15)? What do the disciples fear instead (verses 8,16)? How would you feel if you were Martha or Mary and you heard that Jesus had finally come? What do you learn about Martha from the way she talks to Jesus in verses 21-27? How does Jesus stretch her faith by his claim in verse 25? How does this relate to his claim in John 10:9?

How is Mary’s greeting (verse 32) like and unlike Martha’s? Since Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus (verse 11:11), how do you account for his weeping (verse 34)?

Have you ever felt like God was not listening when you prayed? How did you deal with this? How does the way in which Jesus postponed his response to the sisters’ request help you in understanding your own prayer life?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 548, 640, 993-994, 2604

Those who have a sure hope that they will rise again lay hold of what lies in the future as though it were already present —St. Cyril of Alexandria

Jesus, Our Friend

Pastor’s Column

5^th Sunday of Lent- A

April 6, 2014

There is so much we can learn about Christ from the wonderful story of the friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in this Sunday’s gospel (John 11:1-45). Both fully God and fully human, Jesus, like all of us, has a personal need for friendships with others who help us and support us on the road of life.

Scripture tells us that Jesus could often be found at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Bethany was a small town near Jerusalem beyond the Mount of Olives. We don’t know how Jesus met these friends, but we do know that Mary was someone who deeply appreciated Jesus, even to the point of pouring very expensive perfumed oil on his feet and drying them with her hair. She was very grateful for Jesus. Accommodations in the city of Jerusalem would have been very expensive as well as being too conspicuous, so Jesus and the disciples would no doubt have found lodging outside the city during his visits.

Who among us would not want to have Jesus and the disciples as friends, people who could feel free to come and go and stay with us whenever they wished! But this is exactly the kind of relationship Jesus still desires from each soul that has come to know him! Of course he is always with us, but, like Martha and Mary, there are times when Jesus is especially near; other times, he can feel distant, and we wonder what has taken Jesus so long to answer our prayers, just as Martha and Mary do here. In prayer, when we worship at Mass, when we hear the Scriptures, when we serve the needs of others, Christ is with us in friendship. His friendship becomes apparent in the times he has assisted us, though we often do not notice till later!

When Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is very ill, he deliberately waits four days before arriving, thus insuring Lazarus will die before he arrives. Martha and Mary, who have a real and living relationship with Jesus, are not afraid to ask the most difficult question: Lord, if you had only arrived sooner, my brother would not have died! In other words, Martha and Mary point blank ask him, “Lord, what took you so long!” Martha then follows this comment up with a strong affirmation of her continuing trust in him. But she is still hurt by Jesus’ apparent inaction, and so, at times are we.

Jesus, our friend, is both fully human and fully divine. This story is really the story of Christ’s action in our own homes, that is, our souls. Christ wishes to come and go freely, and to always feel welcome in our home. Only grave sin will close the door to him, but even then, he can’t wait to be invited back through the Sacrament of Reconciliation to repair and clean our home after we have blown it again. There will be times, too, when Jesus seems to wait too long, or appears to be absent, but this too is part of his plan for us. He knows what is best, even if he keeps us waiting for a long time. Like Martha and Mary, we can always feel free to express our true feelings to Jesus, even when we feel hurt by him, but also to end on a note of trust in Jesus, our friend.

Father Gary