At every Catholic funeral the liturgy reminds of three truths about the deceased. The beloved one’s life is changed, not taken away. Our departed friend’s soul is immortal. The body of the deceased will rise again. Scripture reveals to us that God has sown within us the seed of eternity.
In raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus gives us a forecast of our lives after death. At the center of this wondrous narrative is the exchange between Jesus and Martha:
Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died… Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 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.” John 11: 21a, 23-25a
The miracle is a sign of what Jesus will do for us in his saving power. By his death he will save us from sin. By his resurrection he will overcome death and give us eternal life and resurrection.
We call the rising of Lazarus a resuscitation, a restoration of his earthly life. He died again at a future time. Resurrection of the body occurs at the end of our world as we know it. The Church puts this story before us in Lent to strengthen our faith in Christ’s resurrection as well as the promise of our own.
Modern technology cannot still the anxiety that death is the end of everything. Our faith responds with the conviction that death is a passage to another life and, God willing, a life of joy with God.
God calls us to share in Christ’s paschal mystery through a dying and rising with him. When Jesus saw the tomb of his friend, the Gospel says, “And Jesus wept (Jn 11:35).” We too weep at the loss of loved ones, but this is a joyful sorrow tempered by hope in their salvation and resurrection.
Prayer
Jesus, my resurrection and life, I thank you for the gift of resurrected life in the sacraments even before I die. Be my life. Be my love that conquers all.
Reflect
How does Christ’s tears and trembling with deep emotion at the tomb of Lazarus affect you? Why is Christ’s resurrection so essential?
|
