Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Gn 17:3-9

When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”

God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8a)  The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Verse Before the Gospel Ps 95:8

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.

Gospel Jn 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

In The Waiting / Mientras Esperamos

During my Lenten devotions, I have stumbled across several ideas that I have been mulling over.

I was watching Fr. Mike Schmitz’s live-streamed Sunday Mass a few years ago and was taken aback by his observations. He said that death is one of the most difficult things to get through, to watch a loved one die, to grieve the death of a family member, or even face our own impending death. It is heartbreaking and heart wrenching. But there is something even worse than death, and that is to lose heart.

Our hearts can break from sadness and sorrow, they can be ripped from our very chest, but much worse than that is to be discouraged. To despair is worse than death because we have lost our hope in God.

In the same vein, I have been reflecting on the difference between concern and worry. Obviously, we all go through difficult times that yank us out of our routines, and made a horrible realities way too close for comfort. These moments also cause us to worry, whether it be about out finances, our health, our children…

The difference is that concern moves us to action. We spend time in prayer, talk to someone we trust and ask for the help we neeed. On the other hand, worry drives us to anxiety, and eventually, despair.

In today’s First Reading, God poured out blessings upon Abram. He made him the father of a host of nations, made him exceedingly fertile, promised to maintain His covenant with him, and gave him the whole land of Canaan. This new reality was so great that God even gave him a new name.

But let us recall that God did not give him these gifts instantaneously. He waited. Abram endured many hardships and suffered seemingly endless infertility before this great moment. God waited and chose His moment to act.

Perhaps you or I are in a time of waiting right now, too. We may be concerned, yes, but let us not fall into worry because Jesus is right here. He is right beside us, ready to raise us up, although he may choose to wait.

And here’s the clincher. After God showered Abraham with abundance, He said: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

Could it be that God is waiting for us to turn our hearts back to Him and keep His covenant once again? I once saw this phrase on social media: “In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” Hmmmm…

Fr. Schmitz encourages that even if God does not deliver us, that our hearts be like His. No conditions. If He saves us, we are His, and even if He doesn’t, we are still His. “Our hearts can be broken without being lost.” We want the miracle. We see others who were miraculously cured, but whether we are cured or not, we are still his. Daniel was spared the lion’s den, but Stephen was not spared stoning. Jesus begged that this cup would pass, yet was not spared crucifixion. May we say as Jesus did, “not my will, but yours be done.”


Durante mis devociones Cuaresmales, me he topado con varias ideas que he estado reflexionando.

Estaba viendo La misa dominical transmitida en vivo por el P. Mike Schmitz hace unos años y sus observaciones me sorprendieron. Dijo que la muerte es una de las cosas más difíciles de sobrellevar, ver morir a un ser querido, llorar la muerte de un miembro de la familia o incluso enfrentar nuestra propia muerte inminente. Es desgarrador y difícil. Pero hay algo aún peor que la muerte, y es desanimarse.

Nuestros corazones pueden romperse por la tristeza y el dolor, pueden ser arrancados de nuestro mismo pecho, pero mucho peor que eso es desanimarse. Desesperarse es peor que la muerte porque hemos perdido la esperanza en Dios.

En esta misma línea, he estado reflexionando sobre la diferencia entre inquietud y preocupación. Obviamente, todos pasamos por momentos difíciles que nos sacan de nuestras rutinas y hacen realidades horribles demasiado cercanas para nuestra comodidad. Estos momentos también nos preocupan, ya ue sea por nuestras finanzas, nuestra salud, nuestros hijos…

La diferencia es que la inquietud nos mueve a la acción. Pasamos tiempo en oración, hablamos con alguien en quien confiamos y pedimos la ayuda que necesitamos. Por otro lado, la preocupación nos lleva a la ansiedad y, eventualmente, a la desesperación.

En la Primera Lectura de hoy, Dios derramó bendiciones sobre Abram. Lo hizo padre de una multitud de naciones, lo hizo sumamente fértil, prometió mantener Su pacto con él y le dio toda la tierra de Canaán. Esta nueva realidad fue tan grande que Dios incluso le dio un nombre nuevo.

Pero recordemos que Dios no le dio estos dones instantáneamente. Esperó. Abram soportó muchas dificultades y sufrió una infertilidad aparentemente interminable antes de este gran momento. Dios esperó y escogió su momento para actuar.

Tal vez usted o yo también estemos en un momento de espera en este momento. Podemos estar preocupados, sí, pero no caigamos en la preocupación porque Jesús está aquí mismo. Él está justo a nuestro lado, listo para levantarnos, aunque puede elegir esperar.

Y aquí está el factor decisivo. Después de que Dios colmó a Abrahán con abundancia, dijo: “Cumple, pues, mi alianza, tú y tu posteridad, de generación en generación”.

¿Será que Dios está esperando que volvamos nuestro corazón a Él y guardemos Su pacto una vez más? Una vez vi esta frase en las redes sociales: “En la prisa por volver a la normalidad, utilice este tiempo para considerar a cuáles partes de la normalidad vale la pena regresar”. Interesante…

Padre Schmitz nos anima a que, incluso si Dios no nos libera, nuestros corazones sean como el suyo. Sin condiciones. Si nos salva, somos suyos, e incluso si no lo hace, seguimos siendo suyos. “Nuestros corazones pueden romperse sin perderse”. Queremos el milagro. Vemos a otros que fueron curados milagrosamente, pero ya sea que estemos curados o no, todavía somos suyos. Daniel se salvó del foso de los leones, pero Esteban no se salvó de la lapidación. Jesús rogó que pasara esta copa, pero no se salvó de la crucifixión. Que podamos decir como lo hizo Jesús, “no se haga mi voluntad, sino la tuya”.

Feature Image Credit: Levi Meir Clancy, https://unsplash.com/photos/jdIT3puximI


This reflection was reposted from Diocesan Archives. Author: Tami Urcia

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“”Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?””
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“”There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.””

King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“”Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?””
“”Assuredly, O king,”” they answered.
“”But,”” he replied, “”I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.””
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“”Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.””

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b)  Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Verse Before the Gospel See Lk 8:15

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Gospel Jn 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”

They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Slaves And Sons / Esclavos e Hijos

How can slaves be set free if they do not know they are captive? If they are comfortable in their captivity, why would they take the risks necessary to get to freedom? If you are the one sent to free them, how do you convince them to let go of their comfort and follow you out of captivity?

This is what Jesus is trying to do with the Pharisees. They do not know they are enslaved, and they do not want anything to change – they are comfortable in their position of authority over others and their prestige, and they see Jesus as a threat to their position. And Jesus is saying, “Listen to me and you can be REALLY FREE, and walk in Truth as sons of the Father in His glorious Kingdom for all eternity!” The Pharisees response is something like, “Hey, who do you think you are? We are free enough, and besides that, we are assured of our own righteousness because, you know, Abraham. So we are good.”

Jesus tells them that they aren’t really Abraham’s children, because if they were, they would recognize Who He Is. They have distorted their patrimony, turned the laws against others to benefit themselves, and let pride rule their hearts, setting themselves above all and against the One God sent. They have trusted in their own ideas and sought their own glory. The Pharisees seem to think that some exterior nod to Abraham is enough, but Jesus calls us to a complete interior transformation! He makes us a new creation, if we accept that we need to be made new.

What about us? Do we recognize that we are slaves to anything that distracts us from the One God sent, and keeps us from putting God above all else? “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin,” but those who take their life in Christ seriously – who love God with their whole heart, their whole mind, and their whole strength – are set free from sin and become true children of the Father. How do we do this? We dwell in God’s loving Word, which is Truth, so that we are his true disciples; in doing this, we learn to conform ourselves to God’s will, as Jesus did, and we are transformed in love to become one with HIM.

Lent is about re-focusing on this transformation in specific ways. It’s not too late to ask the Lord where we need to surrender to Him so that we can be made new!

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¿Cómo pueden ser liberados los esclavos si no saben que están cautivos? Si se sienten cómodos en su cautiverio, ¿por qué tomarían los riesgos necesarios para llegar a la libertad? Si tú eres el enviado para liberarlos, ¿cómo los convences a abandonar su comodidad y seguirte fuera del cautiverio?

Esto es lo que Jesús está tratando de hacer con los fariseos. No saben que están esclavizados y no quieren que nada cambie, se sienten cómodos en su posición de autoridad sobre los demás y su prestigio, y ven a Jesús como una amenaza para su posición. Y Jesús está diciendo: “¡Escúchenme y podrán ser REALMENTE LIBRES, y caminar en la Verdad como hijos del Padre en Su Reino glorioso por toda la eternidad!” La respuesta de los fariseos es algo así como: “Oye, ¿quién crees que eres? Somos lo suficientemente libres, y además de eso, estamos seguros de nuestra propia justicia porque, ya sabes, somos antecedentes de Abraham. Así que estamos bien”.

Jesús les dice que en realidad no son hijos de Abraham, porque si lo fueran, reconocerían quién es Él. Han desvirtuado su patrimonio, vuelto las leyes en contra de los demás para su propio beneficio, y dejado que la soberbia gobierne sus corazones, poniéndose por encima de todo y en contra del Único enviado de Dios. Han confiado en sus propias ideas y han buscado su propia gloria. Los fariseos parecen pensar que basta algún guiño exterior a Abraham, ¡pero Jesús nos llama a una transformación interior total! Él nos hace una nueva creación, si aceptamos que necesitamos ser recreados.

¿Qué pasa con nosotros? ¿Reconocemos que somos esclavos de cualquier cosa que nos distraiga del Único enviado por Dios y nos impida poner a Dios por encima de todo? “Todo el que comete pecado es esclavo del pecado”, pero aquellos que toman en serio su vida en Cristo, que aman a Dios con todo su corazón, con toda su mente y con todas sus fuerzas, son liberados del pecado y se convierten en verdaderos hijos del Padre. ¿Cómo hacemos esto? Habitamos en la Palabra amorosa de Dios, que es la Verdad, para que seamos sus verdaderos discípulos; al hacer esto, aprendemos a conformarnos a la voluntad de Dios, como lo hizo Jesús, y somos transformados en el amor para volvernos uno con ÉL.

La Cuaresma se trata de volver a enfocarse en esta transformación de maneras específicas. ¡No es demasiado tarde para preguntarle al Señor dónde debemos rendirnos para que nos pueda hacer una nueva creación!

Comunicarse con la autora

Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and seven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

Feature Image Credit: Rui Silva sj, https://unsplash.com/photos/V0HmNoWDkbU

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading 1 Nm 21:4-9

From Mount Hor the children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21

R. (2)  O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;    
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Verse Before the Gospel

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.

Gospel Jn 8:21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come.”
So the Jews said,
“He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
“When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Hope in the Desert / Esperanza en el Desierto

Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Lent is 40 days long, and that’s no accident. 

Today, deep in the desert of Lent 2023, we are faced with some challenging readings.  The Old Testament selection and the Gospel especially bring home to us that desert feeling, the longing for relief. At this point in Lent surely we can relate to the Israelites, “with their patience worn out by the journey.”

Feel their despair, lost in the blazing desert, “disgusted with . . . wretched food,” and sick from thirst. That they sometimes remember slavery in Egypt fondly says a lot about what their trek through the desert must have felt like! And when they complain (and who wouldn’t, really?) God adds insult to injury by throwing venomous snakes into the mix!

Often we look to the Gospel for reassurance after a reading like this one. But while Jesus does not sic snakes on his followers, on the surface his words are confusing and not very comforting. He tells them he will be leaving, and he says no one can follow him. To those who had left everything to follow him already, and who loved him, those statements would surely have occasioned great distress.  Then he adds that not only can they not follow, but rather they are going to die in their sin! Where is the hope?

Thankfully, we find some consolation in the Psalm, which illuminates the difference between complaining and praying: “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.” While praying indicates faith, complaining demonstrates a lack of faith.

God commanded his people to look at the serpent to remind them not just of their sin but of God’s power: someone who can send down serpents at will is also someone who is all-powerful, someone we can trust. The message is that we should have faith in God’s plan rather than complaining against it. That does not mean that we cannot ask for help, for God has “regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer.”

In sending his Son to live and die among the people, “[t]he LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”

Almost everything Jesus says in this Gospel sounds negative, but there is a promise buried in his words: “If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” Therefore, if we DO believe that Jesus was sent by the Father and points the way to the Father, we will receive the release from death that we seek.  Rather than raising our eyes to a serpent on a pole, we raise them to a Savior on a Cross.

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Jesús ayunó en el desierto durante 40 días. Los israelitas vagaron por el desierto durante 40 años. La Cuaresma dura 40 días, y eso no es casualidad.

Hoy, en lo profundo del desierto de la Cuaresma de 2023, nos enfrentamos a algunas lecturas desafiantes. La selección del Antiguo Testamento y el Evangelio especialmente nos traen a la mente ese sentimiento de desierto, el anhelo de alivio. En este punto de la Cuaresma seguramente podemos relacionarnos con los israelitas, “pero por el camino, el pueblo se impacientó”.

Podemos sentir su desesperación, perdidos en el desierto abrasador, “hastiados de esta miserable comida”, y enfermos de sed. ¡El hecho de que a veces recuerden con cariño la esclavitud en Egipto dice mucho sobre cómo debe haber sido su viaje por el desierto! Y cuando se quejan (¿y quién no lo haría, en realidad?) ¡Dios agrega insulto a la herida al mandarles serpientes venenosas!

A menudo buscamos consuelo en el Evangelio después de una lectura como esta. Pero aunque Jesús no lanza serpientes a sus seguidores, en la superficie sus palabras son confusas y no muy reconfortantes. Les dice que se irá, y que nadie podrá seguirlo. A los que ya lo habían dejado todo por seguirlo, y que lo amaban, esas declaraciones seguramente les habrían causado gran angustia. Luego agrega que no solo no pueden seguir, ¡sino que van a morir en su pecado! ¿Dónde está la esperanza?

Afortunadamente, encontramos algo de consuelo en el Salmo, “Señor, escucha mi plegaria.” Mientras quejarse demuestra falta de fe, orar indica fe.

Dios ordenó a su pueblo que mirara a la serpiente para recordarles no solo su pecado sino también el poder de Dios: alguien que puede hacer descender serpientes es también alguien que es todopoderoso, alguien en quien podemos confiar. El mensaje es que debemos tener fe en el plan de Dios en lugar de quejarnos de él. Eso no significa que no podamos pedir ayuda, porque Dios ha “cuando oiga el clamor del oprimido y no se muestre a sus plegarias sordo”.

Al enviar a su Hijo a vivir y morir entre el pueblo, “el Señor, desde su altura santa, ha mirado a la tierra desde el cielo, para oír los gemidos del cautivo y librar de la muerte al prisionero.”

Casi todo lo que Jesús dice en este Evangelio suena negativo, pero hay una promesa enterrada en sus palabras: “si no creen que Yo Soy, morirán en sus pecados”. Por lo tanto, si SÍ creemos que Jesús fue enviado por el Padre y señala el camino al Padre, recibiremos la liberación de la muerte que buscamos. En lugar de levantar nuestros ojos a una serpiente en un asta, los levantamos a un Salvador en una cruz.

Comunicarse con la autora

Leslie Sholly is a Catholic, Southern wife and mother of five, living in her hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee. She graduated from Georgetown University with an English major and Theology minor. She blogs at Life in Every Limb, where for 11 years she has covered all kinds of topics, more recently focusing on the intersection of faith, politics, and social justice.

Feature Image Credit: kalhh, https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cross-desert-sun-faith-sand-1719364/

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Reading I Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, “Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.”
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.

One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
“Bring me oil and soap,” she said to the maids,
“and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”

As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
“Look,” they said, “the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.”

“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned.
“If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord.”
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.

When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
“Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim.”
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.

In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
“As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this.”
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me. 
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel! 
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
“Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

OR:

The assembly condemned Susanna to death.

But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him,
“What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”

Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”

After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’ 
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought. 
Daniel said to him, “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,”
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”

The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (4ab) Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Verse before the Gospel Ez 33:11

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.

Gospel Jn 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to him, 
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Joy In the Dirt! / ¡Alegría en el Lodo!

Today’s Gospel is one that we have heard often. I would dare say that many of us look at this in many different ways. Some believe that this whole story was a setup to put Jesus in a very uncomfortable position. The Mosaic law stated that a woman caught in adultery would be stoned to death, a very serious charge. According to that law the person being charged would have to have been actually caught in the physical act of adultery. That would have been very difficult to do. That is why some commentators believe it was all a set up. In the Mosaic law there had to be two witnesses. Hmmm. Were there actually spies set in place so as to catch this woman in the act? We will never really know for sure. 

Let’s take a look at how Jesus handles the situation. Most of us have seen pictures of the men encircling Jesus with rocks raised above their heads ready to do her in. We see the woman lying in the dirt waiting for her punishment. Then, to our surprise, Jesus bends down to her level and begins writing in the sand. We don’t really know what he was writing, but what we do know is that it was not anything condemning her. Instead of standing over her and shaking his finger at her he got down in the dirt. The men surrounding him continued to harass her. He then dropped this forever-remembered statement, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”. One by one they dropped their stones and walked away. Again, Jesus knelt by her and continued to draw in the dirt. Now, only he and the woman were left. Again, he stands up and says to her, “Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you”? “No one Sir”. Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin anymore”. 

Was that sweet or what? Imagine the disappointment of the Pharisees. Too bad! To me this story and the one of the woman at the well show us the incredible love he has for his people. Perhaps way beyond our understanding but, being grateful for his incredible forgiveness.

Many years ago we had a family situation that I needed some guidance on. I went to our then pastor and sought his help. He asked me some questions and I answered them. And then he said this, “Charity (love) trumps everything”! What a profound answer to a very complex problem! I got out of the “dirt” and did what I needed to do! Let us continue to wallow in God’s infinite Divine Mercy!

Serving with Joy!

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El Evangelio de hoy es uno que hemos escuchado con frecuencia. Me atrevería a decir que muchos de nosotros vemos esto de muchas maneras diferentes. Algunos creen que toda esta historia fue un montaje para poner a Jesús en una posición muy incómoda. La ley mosaica establecía que una mujer sorprendida en adulterio sería lapidada hasta la muerte, un cargo muy grave. De acuerdo con esa ley, la persona acusada tendría que haber sido sorprendida en el acto físico de adulterio. Eso hubiera sido muy difícil de hacer. Es por eso que algunos comentaristas creen que todo fue un montaje. En la ley mosaica tenía que haber dos testigos. Interesante… ¿Hubo realmente espías establecidos para atrapar a esta mujer en el acto? Nunca lo sabremos con certeza.

Echemos un vistazo a cómo Jesús maneja la situación. La mayoría de nosotros hemos visto imágenes de los hombres rodeando a Jesús con rocas levantadas sobre sus cabezas listas para acabar con ella. Vemos a la mujer tendida en el suelo esperando su castigo. Luego, para nuestra sorpresa, Jesús se inclina hasta su nivel y comienza a escribir en la arena. Realmente no sabemos qué estaba escribiendo, pero lo que sí sabemos es que no era nada que la condenara. En lugar de pararse sobre ella y agitar su dedo hacia ella, se tumbó en la tierra. Los hombres que lo rodeaban continuaron acosándola. Luego dejó caer esta declaración siempre recordada: “Aquel de ustedes que no tenga pecado, que le tire la primera piedra”. Uno por uno dejaron caer sus piedras y se alejaron. Nuevamente, Jesús se arrodilló junto a ella y continuó dibujando en la tierra. Ahora, solo quedaban él y la mujer. De nuevo se pone de pie y le dice:  “‘Mujer, ¿dónde están los que te acusaban? ¿Nadie te ha condenado?’ Ella le contestó: ‘Nadie, Señor’. Y Jesús le dijo: ‘Tampoco yo te condeno. Vete y ya no vuelvas a pecar’.”

¡Que increíble! Imagina la gran desilusión de los fariseos. Para mí esta historia y la de la mujer en el pozo nos demuestran el increíble amor que Jesús tiene por su pueblo. Quizás mucho más allá de nuestro entendimiento, pero estando agradecidos por su increíble perdón.

Hace muchos años tuvimos una situación familiar sobre la que necesitaba orientación. Fui a nuestro pastor y busqué su ayuda. Me hizo algunas preguntas y yo las respondí. Y luego dijo esto: “¡La caridad (el amor) triunfa sobre todo”! ¡Qué respuesta tan profunda a un problema tan complejo! Salí de la “suciedad” e hice lo que tenía que hacer. Sigamos gozando de la infinita Misericordia Divina de Dios. 

¡Servir con Alegría!

Comunicarse con el autor

Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 50 years. They are the parents of eight children and thirty grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002.  He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.

Featured Image Credit: Tsunami Green, https://unsplash.com/photos/mEr9KXjOSKs

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Reading I Ez 37:12-14

Thus says the Lord GOD: 
O my people, I will open your graves 
and have you rise from them, 
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD, 
when I open your graves and have you rise from them, 
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live, 
and I will settle you upon your land; 
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
    LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to my voice in supplication. 
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
    LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
    that you may be revered. 
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
I trust in the LORD;
    my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
    let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
For with the LORD is kindness
    and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
    from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Reading II Rom 8:8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; 
on the contrary, you are in the spirit, 
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, 
although the body is dead because of sin, 
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, 
the one who raised Christ from the dead 
will give life to your mortal bodies also, 
through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 11:25a, 26

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will never die.

Gospel Jn 11:1-45

Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, 
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 
and dried his feet with her hair; 
it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples said to him, 
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, 
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, 
because he sees the light of this world.
But if one walks at night, he stumbles, 
because the light is not in him.” 
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep,
but I am going to awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death, 
while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. 
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died.
And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe. 
Let us go to him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, 
“Let us also go to die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary 
to comfort them about their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“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.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

When she had said this, 
she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, 
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this,
she rose quickly and went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village, 
but was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her 
saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her, 
presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, 
she fell at his feet and said to him, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, 
he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

OR: 

Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, 
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, 
but is for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, 
he remained for two days in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to his disciples, 
“Let us go back to Judea.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus 
had already been in the tomb for four days.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him; 
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, 
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“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.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, 
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said, 
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man 
have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, 
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; 
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe 
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said, 
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me; 
but because of the crowd here I have said this, 
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, 
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands, 
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Jesus Wept / Jesús Se Puso a Llorar

We might think Jesus had nothing to cry about. After all, he knows that the life we experience after earthly death is the point at which our eyes are opened and our hearts are completely filled at last. He knows that he will soon raise Lazarus from the dead, and everyone will be rejoicing and their sorrow forgotten. So, why did he weep?

It seems he wept at the sight of others’ sorrow; he saw Mary and the others grieving over Lazarus’ death and became “perturbed and deeply troubled,” and he wept. This is a profound insight into the very Heart of the Savior – a compassionate heart truly entering into the sorrow of others and reaching out to alleviate their pain.

He is again “perturbed” when some of the bystanders suggest that he was unable to do anything about this, that he should have done something earlier to save Lazarus. What caused this agitation was not that he took personal offense at their doubtfulness. His Heart is always for others first! His pain was caused by their continued lack of faith, which was detrimental to THEM, not to him. He is the Savior and Redeemer, who calls them to believe and trust.

Jesus is also a Teacher, who does not miss any “teachable moment.” So, as he is about to perform this extraordinary act, he wants to make sure that the lessons are understood clearly. One of these lessons is that Jesus only does what the Father wills, that his power over sickness and demons and death itself is the will of the Father and comes from the Father (“Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me.”) but it is truly also HIS power. In the Gospel, Jesus never asks the Father to do the healing, the casting out, or the raising from the dead; he speaks directly for himself. “He cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out.”

In this one scene, Jesus is accomplishing many things, “for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it”:

  •         Jesus shows he is beyond any fear of perceived danger by returning to the people who had rejected him and tried to stone him to death.
  •         Jesus reminds the disciples that he walks by a greater light, and they can too.
  •         Jesus strengthens the faith of those present and declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
  •         Jesus raises the one he loves, four days after he died.
  •         Jesus restores a brother to two grieving sisters.
  •         Jesus demonstrates his divine power to the bystanders and the disciples.
  •         Jesus draws many others to believe in him.

This Lent, has my faith deepened? Do I believe that whatever God allows is for a greater good, for His greater glory? Do I trust that his love and mercy never fail and will ultimately relieve every sorrow? Is my heart freer to receive the fullness of redemption in Christ?

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Podríamos pensar que Jesús no tenía nada por qué llorar. Después de todo, él sabe que la vida que experimentamos después de la muerte terrenal es el punto en el que nuestros ojos se abren y nuestros corazones se llenan por fin. Sabe que pronto resucitará a Lázaro de entre los muertos, y todos se regocijarán y olvidarán su dolor. Entonces, ¿por qué lloró?

Parece que lloró al ver el dolor de los demás; vio a María y a los demás afligidos por la muerte de Lázaro y se “se conmovió hasta lo más hondo”, y lloró. Esta es una visión profunda del Corazón mismo del Salvador: un corazón compasivo que realmente se adentra en el dolor de los demás y se extiende para aliviar su dolor.

Él está nuevamente “conmovido” cuando algunos de los espectadores sugieren que no pudo hacer nada al respecto, que debería haber hecho algo antes para salvar a Lázaro. Lo que causó esta agitación no fue que se sintiera ofendido personalmente por sus dudas. ¡Su Corazón siempre está para los demás primero! Su dolor fue causado por su continua falta de fe, lo cual fue perjudicial para ELLOS, no para él. Él es el Salvador y Redentor, que los llama a creer y confiar.

Jesús es también un Maestro, que no se pierde ningún “momento de enseñanza”. Entonces, cuando está a punto de realizar este acto extraordinario, quiere asegurarse de que las lecciones se entiendan claramente. Una de estas lecciones es que Jesús solo hace lo que el Padre quiere, que su poder sobre la enfermedad y los demonios y la muerte misma es la voluntad del Padre y viene del Padre (“Padre, te doy gracias porque me has escuchado. Yo ya sabía que tú siempre me escuchas.”) pero verdaderamente también es SU poder. En el Evangelio, Jesús nunca le pide al Padre que haga la curación, la expulsión o la resurrección de los muertos; habla directamente por sí mismo. “Luego gritó con voz potente: ‘¡Lázaro, sal de allí!’ Y salió el muerto”.

En esta escena, Jesús está logrando muchas cosas, “para la gloria de Dios, para que el Hijo de Dios sea glorificado por medio de ella”:

  • Jesús muestra que está más allá de cualquier temor de peligro al regresar donde la gente que lo había rechazado y tratado de apedrearlo hasta la muerte.
  • Jesús les recuerda a los discípulos que él camina en una luz mayor, y ellos también pueden hacerlo.
  • Jesús fortalece la fe de los presentes y declara: “Yo soy la resurrección y la vida”.
  • Jesús resucita al que ama, cuatro días después de su muerte.
  • Jesús restaura un hermano a dos hermanas afligidas.
  • Jesús demuestra su poder divino a los espectadores y a los discípulos.
  • Jesús atrae a muchos otros a creer en él.

Esta Cuaresma, ¿se ha profundizado mi fe? ¿Creo que todo lo que Dios permite es para un bien mayor, para su mayor gloria? ¿Confío en que su amor y misericordia nunca fallan y finalmente aliviará cada dolor? ¿Está mi corazón más libre para recibir la plenitud de la redención en Cristo?

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and seven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

Feature Image Credit: Rita Laura, https://cathopic.com/photo/11441-ternura-y-amor