𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒌
March 22, 2026
Fifth Sunday Of Lent, Year A

Dear Parishioners,

Grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you! When Lazarus came back to life, everything was just the same as it had been before he died. What happened to Lazarus was no Easter, because Easter means new life – the type of life Jesus lived among us. Jesus’ life was admired by many, but in the end was considered to be too good, too unreal, and too naive by almost everyone. No wonder Jesus was crucified! Just as the laughter of the risen Lazarus became too much for the people of his village, Jesus’ life was eventually too much for those around him. Yet, on that first Easter day, Jesus proved that his life was indestructible and guaranteed by God as the only real and lasting one.

Lazarus was “called back” – but from where? It is quite common to find stories in the newspapers or on TV about near death experiences. You must have heard how some dying people claim to have looked down upon themselves as their souls briefly separated from their bodies. Many people say they seemed to enter a tunnel with a light at the end. Others even related how Jesus appeared at the end of the tunnel. They tell how they saw their whole life flashing before them, as if it were a kind of film, and how all was understood and forgiven. They describe how friends and family members were waiting to welcome them, but how they had to return to their bodies to carry on living. Did Lazarus go through a similar kind of experience?

This kind of logic is also valid in the case of God’s love. If God loves an individual, then that person must be immortal. It is the kind of logic the Pharisees in Jesus’ time were familiar with. They did not see God’s love merely as a love for the nation of Israel, but rather as a love for each and every individual member of that nation. Martha and Mary were proved to be right. Jesus showed his friendship for Lazarus by calling him back from the dead.

There is another lesson in the story about Lazarus. It is about the logic of love. Martha knew that Jesus loved Lazarus, because they were such close friends. That is why Martha and Mary were so sure that if Jesus had been there, he would not have allowed his friend Lazarus to die. Friends and lovers often each tell one another that their love or friendship is ad infinitum – that is, “to infinity” or without limit.

Have a blessed Sunday and an amazing Lenten Season!

𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑦, 𝑂.𝑃.