FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT: A. Mar 9, 2008

 Ezekiel 37:12-14  Psalm: 130 Rom 8: 8-11  John 11: 1-45

 -the shaded portion is not the one I would use at Mass… it is for reading only

An elderly couple finally died and went to heaven. There St. Peter showed them around. First he took them to an eating spot where the food was deep fried chicken, rich omelets, plenty of cheese. But I cannot eat that it is high in cholesterol. Oh don’t worry, here in heaven there is no cholesterol problem. He was then taken to the dessert bar: cheese cakes, almond fudge, caramels. But the old man protested, I cannot have that either. I am diabetic. Oh, don’t worry, St. Peter assured him, diabetes does not affect anyone here. The Old Man turned to his wife, “Woman, I could have been here long ago enjoying these things. And all you gave me was salt free diet and bran every day !!!”

What is life going to be after death? We will have to ask those whose graves were opened and were brought back to life in the Book of Ezekiel. We will have to ask Lazarus.

For the last three Sundays, our Gospel Narratives are connected with Baptism and the vows we will renew at Easter. First we were reminded of our baptismal waters in the Gospel story of the Samaritan Woman at the well. Secondly, we were reminded of the Light. At baptism, the priest gave our parents a candle and the mandate to keep the flame of faith burning brightly. The Gospel story was the cure of the blind man. Today’s Gospel deals with the Promise of Eternal life. The story is the Raising of Lazarus from the dead.

The Gospel is introduced by a passage from the prophet Ezekiel. It is a promise to open the graves and give us the Spirit (the same word used when God breathe into Adam the breath of life) - and those in the grave would live again.  This passage follows that awesome passage immortalized in the African spiritual: “Dem Bones” When at the command of God, the bones joined together with a rattling sound and then flesh covered them and they came back to life.

Now in the Stories of the Samaritan woman and the Blind Man we have had experiences which relate to thirst, and experiences which relate to living in darkness and confusion. But when it comes to the story of the Raising of Lazarus from the dead, it is something none of us have experienced and not likely to experience. Near death experiences do not count.

One of the Spiritual writers has suggested that we imagine that we are dead like Lazarus and buried in the tomb. It seems rather far fetched. All we might do in this exercise is create a scenario for some bad dreams and nightmares. And as to hearing Jesus calling us from the tomb, it seems a bit eerie.

We do believe in the Resurrection of Body. Then there will be no more pain, no more tears. But strangely enough, the opening of the graves and new life in Ezekiel and the Raising of Lazarus in a very strange way touch our every day life. In both these stories, when they come back to life, they take up where they left it, but without the pain, or sickness or aches that caused them to die. They did not seem to have any thing better in their gender, their financial situation, their sibling rivalry, or in their job description. The idea of life after death as we understand it to be something totally different from the way we live now, never entered the picture either in Ezekiel or John’s Gospel. Given this background, we hear Jesus’ voice calling us back to life like he called Lazarus back to life. What would be our answer?

• Perhaps some of us might say, Thank You Lord, but I prefer to stay as I am. I do not want to come back to more of the same old things: wars, ecological disasters, Tsunamis and Hurricanes, lying politicians, crooked officials and bureaucrats. On a personal level, I do not want to face my anger, hatred, dependency on alcohol, gambling, pornography, physical and mental abuse. Now I just want to rest in peace.
• Others might similar reply: I died of cancer or Alzheimer, or Parkinson, or diabetes or a stroke. Been there, done that, it was painful, I do not need another go at the same ailments.
• Still others might say, I would like to get back. I have two sons 15 and 17. I would like to see them get a degree, get married. I would like to know what my grandchildren would be like.
• St. Paul said that he had done everything to merit heaven, he had fought the good fight, he had finished the course. He was ready for his reward, yet he was willing to risk everything, if his staying alive could further the Kingdom of God.

On the one hand, New Life or Resurrection from the Dead or Life after death are things very much a part of life. We believe in them. Yet we have to continue to plod on with our daily messes and chores. At this time we may think that the Raising of Lazarus was a nice story, good for Lazarus, a touching reunion with Martha and Mary, but hardly relevant to living out our Christian Life.

 But like Lazarus we are in the tomb when our marriage breaks up, when we cannot pay our bills, when we are addicted to certain sins, when we have been diagnosed with crippling illnesses. Then we feel we are dead or wish that we were dead. It is precisely at this moment that the Good Shepherd comes searching for us sheep, and he calls us by our name. He bids us to come forth from the darkness of the tomb.

Then we have to unloosed from the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus and binds us as well. Anger and Hatred which bind us and prevent us from reaching out in love. Our dependency on alcohol, pornography, physical or mental abuse leaves us bound up and gasping for air like Lazarus in the tomb. Our physical ailments like bi-polar disorders, chronic depression, chronic fatigue syndrome might want us to remain like Lazarus in the tomb, tightly bound up like a cocoon.

 And we know it is not our imagination, but truly the voice of the Lord calling us

  to come out of the tomb

 to come into the Light and out of darkness

 to come and drink and quench our thirst at the Springs of living water.

Our response to the call of Jesus will be pretty much what we will enjoy when our time on earth is over.  In the Spanish Bullfighting arena, when you buy a ticket, they ask you “Sol o Sombra” - “Sunlight or Shade” it could be the same choice: “Sunlight or Darkness.” The Lord is calling you!