On this 5th Sunday of Lent we draw ever closer to Easter and the reality of the Lord’s Resurrection.
In our Gospel Christ restores life to Lazarus and proclaims, “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.”
The resurrection of the body is not important for only Christ, but also for each of us. As we proclaim when we profess our faith through the Creed, “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”
Through the Resurrection we are able to confidently say that death does not have the last word. As Christians we do not live without hope for we have been given the joy of the resurrection. In this life we will continue to be touched by the reality of sin and death, but we not have to despair because we are able to look forward at what is to come.
The Resurrection is not only important some 2,000 years ago or in the far future. Each and every time that we gather on Sunday we join ourself to the resurrection. Here we come to proclaim this great victory that has been made over sin and death. We come to be nourished by Christ who serves as food for our journey.
In the Gospel of Saint John we are told, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever.” This verse perfectly proclaims that profession of life that we make through our belief in the Lord’s Resurrection. When we come to be nourished by Christ present among us we are given that strength to move forward day by day with God’s help.
As Saint Paul professed to the Galatians, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me.” Therefore, we must come to better live our life for Christ. That is precisely the purpose of this Lenten season. Through practices such as fasting, almsgiving, and prayer we are to more perfectly live for Christ.
Another way that we can live for Christ is to allow His mercy to enter into our life. Therefore return to the sacrament of confession and allow the Lord to be the one who heals you. On Tuesday we will have eight priests here who will assist us with the sacrament of confession. Use this and other opportunities to be reconciled with God for He is merciful and just.
As the Lord says in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, “Have no fear!” Our world is filled with anxiety, but Christ comes in order to bring us comfort. Are we willing to allow Him to enter more fully into our life to bring such comfort? Through the Lord’s Resurrection we have received our ultimate hope. Now let us be found willing to move towards and to embrace this great reality each day.
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