Fifth Sunday of Lent (A) Is DEATH A Beginning or end of our life?Ezekiel 37:12-14
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45
Dear friends in Jesus Christ. Let me ask you a question? Where does human life begin and where does it end? Just think for a while and you are free to answer. We believe that human life begins in the womb and ends in the tomb. Our minds are capable to understand that DEATH is last grade of our physical existence here on this earth.
Then, my question is, what must be the next grade after death? For Christians life begins after death. Because our God is not God of death but God of living. We also believe in the Resurrection of Christ then don’t you think and dream about the Life Eternal?
There was a man namely Mr. Antony. He was a very good man. He used to help many people. He led a good catholic life. He was a smart business man and was always on his toes. One day he felt the need to appoint Mr. Prakash, one of his workers to help out in the business. Antony found Prakash as a trustworthy person. Antony believed him so much that he made him as a partner of his business. One day there was a little misunderstanding between Antony and Prakash regarding finance. By knowing the real nature of Prakash, slowly Antony avoided him. This created jealousy and anger in Prakash.
So, he thought off to kill Antony and grab all his possessions. Prakash planned very cunningly that nobody could find. So, one day as they were going to their company Prakash killed Antony. He felt sad and helped out the family members in arranging for the funeral ceremony as if he was concerned about. After the funeral ceremony, Prakash felt very happy that no one suspected him. He returned from the graveyard thinking that he will be the owner of all possessions of Antony. As he was returning from the cemetery he saw a little quotation in the entrance of the cemetery. It is written “today it is for me; tomorrow it is for you”.
This quotation was lingering in his mind all through the night and he could not sleep. He thought to himself that though Antony was a good man, helped so many people, led a good catholic life also had very good possessions yet he took nothing when he died. But today I am rich because of him, he thought so many tricks in the business, also made me as his partner but I have killed him in order to take up all his possessions and became a selfish person. But if I die tomorrow as the words of the cemetery where will all my possessions go? Who will be in charge of my possessions? So his mind was troubled so much.
Finally he went to Antony’s house and reported all that had happened and he surrendered to police. After experiencing the life in the jail he returned to his house. The family members of Antony forgave him and accepted him as partner to their business once again. When he returned to his house he started a foundation with the name of Antony. Through which he started to help people.
Dear friends, though Antony died yet he lives in the good works of Prakash; at the same time when he returned from the cemetery Prakash changed his life and became a new person. As we read in the gospel of John 12:24 that “unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. Hence only in death we have life.
2000 years back Jesus was born, lived, died and rose to life but still he lives today in our lives. He has thousands of daily followers. Our former Indian President Dr. Abdul Kalam dead and gone but still people continue to do many charitable works and arrange encouraging and enlightening programmes in the name of Kalam. Even though the person is dead yet he is alive today in all the good works.
In our daily life we also hear people saying like ‘he was a good person but now he is no more’, ‘in the young age itself God has taken his life’, ‘though he died and we buried him yet he lives in our hearts’, at the same time ‘he is dead because of his sins’, ‘even after his death he is not leaving us free etc. these are words the people say after our death. And this is the reward of our life on this earth. Thus life does not end in tomb but it continues even after the tomb.
In the first reading God assures us that we will understand our God not during our earthily life but when he will bring us to our home from the graves we know who God is!. “Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD.” Also in the gospel reading Jesus gives a new life to Lazarus by opening his grave. So dear friends God is waiting for us to give new life how many of you want to receive it?.
Let us reflect the Gospel for our conversion.
Whom God loves today or who are all God’s friends?
John 15: 14 we read that “you are all my friends if you do what I command you”. So whoever does the command of God all are his friends. Today you are his friends or his enemies?
What are the sicknesses that affect to become the friends of God?
Today the friends of God are affected with power, position, money, wealth, etc.
To whom Jesus shed his tears?
Jesus shed his tears for his friend(s). When lazar his friend left him Jesus cried. So dear friends Jesus calls us friends in the same way whenever we go away from the presence of God Jesus too cries for us. b>Do you want to make < Jesus to cry? Or do you want to make Jesus happy? Let us decide!
Why did Jesus order them to take away the stone in the graveyard?
To see the glory of God we must remove the stones from our life. John 11:40 we read that “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” so they have removed the stones.
Dear friends, nowadays our hearts are becoming stony hearts. Most of the times we are not able to feel the pain of others thus easily we hurt our fellow beings with our words, actions and deeds today our God tells us in the book of Ezekiel 36:26 that “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”. Our God is ready to remove the stony hearts from us, are we ready to accept it? or do you want live with stony hearts?
Why did Jesus ask Lazarus to come out?
Death is not end of our life. Especially for Christians life doesn’t end with death. Because, Jesus is our life and only in him we all have life.
As we read John 1:4 “in him was a life and life was the light of men”. So, our life continues even after the death. So Jesus asked Lazarus to come out in order to continue his life. Also Jesus came to this world in order to give his life; life in abundance. Jn10:10 says that “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”.
Does anybody know the life of Lazarus after his resurrection?
Dear friends according to the writings of St. Epiphanios of Cyprus, Lazarus were 30 years old when Jesus raised him from his death. After his resurrection he led 30 more years of life. Since Jews wanted to kill Lazarus along with Jesus (Jn12:10) he flew to Cyprus and lived in a place called Kition. When St. Paul and St. Barnabas visited Cyprus they anointed Lazarus as first bishop of Kition to take care of the Christians in Kition. He led a holy life and died in 63 A.D. the faithful buried him in Cyprus and venerated him as a saint. His memory is celebrated by the church every Saturday before the Palm Sunday.
Why did Jesus say “Unbind him, and let him go”?
Because Lazarus was bounded by sin and death now Jesus ordered them to unbind him because God’s mercy was with him. By cleansing him from his sin and death Jesus gives him a new life. So dear friends today we too are tied up with so many knots. Knots of sins, knots of Satan’s acts, knots of worldly pleasure like money, power, and position, knots of Family bond, etc during this Lenten season let us try to find our own knots and receive a fullness of life in Christ. Because our life is determined or brings fruit only after our death.
MAY ST. LAZARUS INTERCEDE FOR US! AMEN.
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