DAILY- HOMILY

April 2, 2017 - 5th SUNDAY OF LENT

Violet

Ez 37: 12- 14 I Rom 8: 8- 11 I Jn 11: 1 – 45

FROM THE GOSPEL READING:     Jn 11: 17- 27, 29- 44

     When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus  had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near  Jerusalem, about two  miles  away, many  Jews  had  come  to Martha  and Mary  to offer  consolation at their  brother's death.

     When  Martha  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming, she  went  to  meet  him  while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, "If you had been here, my  brother would not  have died.  But  I know  that  whatever you  ask from  God, God will  give you." Jesus said, "Your  brother will  rise again."

     Martha  replied, "I know  that  he will  rise in the resurrection, at the last day." But Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection; whoever believes  in me, though he die, shall live.  Whoever is alive by believing in me will  never  die. Do you  believe this?"

     Martha  then  answered, "Yes, Lord,  I have come  to believe  that  you  are the Christ,  the Son of God, he who  is coming into  the world." ...

     As for Mary, when  she came  to the place  where  Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet  and said, "Lord, if you  had been  here, my brother would not  have died."  When  Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews also who  had come  with  her, he was moved in the  depths of his spirit and  troubled. Then he asked,  "Where have you laid him?"   They answered, "Lord, come  and see."  And Jesus wept.

     The Jews said, "See how  he loved  him!"   But some  of them  said, "If he could open  the eyes of the blind man, could he not have kept  this man from  dying?"

     Jesus  was deeply moved again  and  drew  near  to  the  tomb.  It was a cave with  a stone  laid across  it. Jesus ordered, "Take the stone  away." Martha  said to him, "Lord, by now  he will smell,  for this is the fourth day." Jesus replied, "Have I not  told  you that  if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"  So they removed the stone.

     Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father,  I thank  you for you have heard me. I knew  that  you hear me always; but  my prayer  was for the sake of these people, that  they may believe  that  you sent me."  When Jesus had said this, he cried  out in a loud  voice,  "Lazarus, come  out!"

     The dead  man came  out,  his hands  and feet  bound with  linen  strips  and his face wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them,  "Untie him and let him go."

REFLECTION

     When Jesus said that  "he was the resurrection," he was claiming that he was the source  of all life; he was claiming that  he was divine.  Jesus does  more  than give  life; he is life and therefore death  has no ultimate power  over him.  And  he assures life to those  who  believe  in him. He promises them  eternal  life.

     Martha  proclaimed her faith  in Jesus: "Yes, Lord,  I have come  to believe that you are the Christ,  the Son of God, he who  is coming into  the world."

     The resurrection of Lazarus  foreshadowed the resurrection of Jesus, except that  it  was  the  mortal life  of  Lazarus  which   was  restored; Lazarus  would die again.  In the resurrection of Jesus, he conquered death;  through his resurrection he has invited all of us to rise also to eternal  life with  him, "Whoever believes  in me, though he die, shall live."

     Do we believe these  words of Jesus?  When  Jesus raised  Lazarus  from the dead,  he told  the  people to remove the stone  at the  tomb so Lazarus  could come  out.  Similarly we  ask  the  Lord  to remove from   in  front of  us  those  things which   keep  us from  a full  life  with  Christ:   this  is what  faith  is all about - to remove whatever hinders us in allowing Jesus to be the Lord  of our life.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     LYDIA  JAVIER  REYES

     MA. JENNILENE O. MANIBAY

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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