Easter 2 A.B.C
My Lord and My God
Thomas the Twin dominates today’s Gospel. In popular use, hardly anyone named Thomas has not been dubbed, “doubting Thomas” at some time in his life. But it is interesting that not many people have asked the question, “who is the other twin?”
Speculation on this subject is interesting. Some have hazarded that Judas was his twin. Since Judas betrayed Jesus and went and hanged himself (evidently in despair), his relation to Thomas would have been suppressed. Others have proposed that Mary Magdalene is his twin. Mary as the first proclaimer of the Resurrection has her own difficulties in getting through to the other Apostles. Some have even hazarded that Jesus is Thomas’ twin. Now to catholics that is unthinkable, but not to those who take the references to the brothers and sisters of Jesus as literal.
It would seem that Thomas reaction to the death of Jesus is to go off by himself alone to deal with this loss. But from the other information that we have from the Gospels about Thomas it would also seem that he was re-examining how he could have missed in his judgement about Jesus. Wasn’t Jesus to be the Messiah, the restorer of the Kingdom of Israel? How could this Jesus end up killed on a cross? Thomas probably thought that Jesus would tie all his searching and synthesizing together. Now Jesus has died ignominously on a cross. It seems he needed time apart to process his throughts, to regroup. If Thomas was an introvert he would process things alone on his insides before talking with others. His refined observation skills had failed him. He was re-examing past events. He was dealing with the darkness of doubt.
Some years back in a dialogue homily I posed the question? “Why do you think Thomas was not with the other disciples?” A little boy of about 12, put up his hand, “because he couldn’t get off work.” It does make you think.
When Thomas does rejoin the group (a week later) he is presented with the information that they have seen the Lord. He thinks that this must be some kind of delusional thinking. He must have his own personal proof, put his finger in the wounds of his hand and his hand into Jesus’ side. I think that it must have been a tense week: the ten holding, “we have seen the Lord,” in one part of the room and in another part Thomas “I don’t believe.”
Jesus comes to Thomas. Jesus make his approach to Thomas particular to this man. There is nothing of the “don’t touch me” words directed to Mary Magdalene. In fact Jesus tells Thomas, just the opposite, come and touch.
Thomas is overwhelmed and bursts forth his own profession of faith, “My Lord and My God.” This Thomas who was not easily convinced, now was convinced. ( I find myself wondering if he did put his finger in the hand and his hand in Jesus’ side. I’ve solicited different responses to this question and the answers are quite differing and interesting. Particularly why people think what they think.) Surely his faith must have enriched the others. Thomas was one of those types who gathers lots of information (I personally identify here with Thomas), he was always perceiving and analyzing things, even things that others missed. Doubting Thomas becomes believing Thomas and inspires the others to greater depth of belief.
Thomas seemed the least likely of the group. He appeared to question everything that happened. Even after God proved Jesus was right by raising him from the dead, Thomas had to feel the wounds.
But just because of this very defect of doubt, Thomas might have been the most effective preacher. Because the audience was even more skeptical. “A crucified carpenter, you say? Rose from the dead, you say? Starting some kind of new kingdom, you say? Hmm.” But Thomas had already worked his way through those doubts. Convinced preachers might scare people off, but people recognized Thomas as one of their own. If Thomas could believe it, so could they.
Tradition tells us that Thomas was the apostle to India. Would this not make sense, that he who was the most difficult to convince, once convinced would have the most impulse and stamina and drive to carry the news the farthest?
Another spiritual tradition about Thomas the Twin is that you and I are the Twin. "Blessed are those who have not seen and believe."
Has Jesus come to you in a particular way? Have you been called to put your personality, your history, your gifts at the service of the Jesus in a particular way? Is Jesus perhaps speaking to you today, to put some good, which has laid dormant inside you, into action for Jesus? Can you say with Thomas, “My Lord and My God.”
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Easter Sunday
EASTER SUNDAY
Out of darkness into the Light
This Easter Sunday I would like to focus on the experience of three
people, Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Peter. They each have something to
teach us about ourselves, Jesus and the Resurrection. We will look at
their individual reaction to the death of Jesus, Jesus' individual
reaction to each of them, and the individual mission which was entrusted
to each. Each of them has a particular darkness: Mary Magdalene, sorrow;
Thomas, doubt; Peter, remorse.
MARY MAGDALENE
Her reaction to the death of Jesus: she is preoccupied with getting
the spices needed to anoint the body of Jesus. She does observe the
Sabbath rest, maybe because of what others would think. She comes to
the tomb with her programmed expectations. She is busy responding to
her loss by doing something. Her words are repeated three times almost
like a lament, "They have taken his body and I don't know where they
have laid him." She is so disoriented by this unexpected turn that she
doesn't recognize Jesus when he is present to her. She thinks he is the
gardener.
Jesus deals with Mary by calling her by name. He leads her out of
the darkness of her sorrow. In this calling she receives recognition
and again moves into action. She clings to Jesus. He then tells her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father."
Sandra Schneider's discussion of this is most enlightening. She says the
literal translation would be: "Not me (emphatic) continue to touch but
"go to my brothers and sisters." The emphatic placement of the "me"
at the beginning of the command and closest to the negative, which thus
seems to govern the pronoun "me" rather than the verb "touch," suggests
that what Jesus is forbidding is not so much the touching itself but Mary's
selection of the object to touch, namely, Jesus who stands before her as an
individual. ...In other words, I would suggest that what Jesus is really
doing is redirecting Mary's desire for union with himself from his physical
or earthly body (which in any case no longer exists because it is the
glorified Lord who stands before her in an appearance which is temporary)
to the new locus of his presence in the world, that is, the community of his
brothers and sisters, the disciples."
Jesus then missions her with the words, "But go to my brothers and
tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
God.'" The writer of the fourth Gospel states: "Mary of Magdala went
and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and what he told
her." Jesus had progressively led her from the darkness of sorrow to
the light of joy. This joy she could now share. Her witness to Jesus
would be different because she was different.
THOMAS
Thomas reacts to the death of Jesus by going off by himself alone to
deal with his loss. He probably went over his contacts with Jesus to
see where he (Thomas) had been wrong. This Jesus whom he thought had
the key that would tie all his searching and synthesizing together now
had died ignominiously on a Cross. He needed time alone to process his
thoughts, to regroup. He was dealing with the darkness of doubt. When he
does rejoin the group he is presented with the information that they
have seen the Lord. He thinks that this must be some kind of delusional
thinking. He must have his own personal proof, put his finger in the
wounds of the hand and his hand into the side.
Jesus comes to Thomas. Jesus particularizes his approach to Thomas.
There is nothing of the don't touch words directed to Mary Magdalene.
In fact Jesus tells him just the opposite, come and touch.
Thomas is overwhelmed and bursts forth his own, My Lord and My God.
His profession of faith must have enriched the others. Thomas was the
one who gathered so much information, he was always perceiving things,
even things that others missed. Doubting Thomas became believing Thomas
and inspired the others to greater depths of belief. Tradition has Thomas
bringing the Gospel as far away as India.
PETER
Peter responds to the death of Jesus by returning to his familiar
home and task, fishing in Galilee. He was overwhelmed by all that had
happened to Jesus and how it had all affected him. He obsessed about
his own protests,his taking a sword in the garden, his denials, his flight,
his going out and weeping bitterly. It was all too much for him. He was
overwhelmed by the darkness of his own powerful emotions. He was in a fog.
So when Jesus comes to them on the shore, Peter doesn't recognize
Jesus but John does. But upon recognition he does the impulsive thing
(Peter always seemed to be doing the impulsive thing) and jumps into the
water.
Jesus takes Peter by himself and questions him, "Simon, son of John
do you love me?" The Greek is important to understand the meaning of
these questions and Peter's response.
Jesus' first two questions are with the word agapas Peter
responds, "Yes Lord you know that I love (philo) you."
Jesus is asking about "self sacrificing love". Peter is responding
with the "love of friendship". It would seem that Peter's heart wasn't in it.
Maybe he was still dealing with the fact that he had denied Jesus.
A second time Jesus questions him: "Simon son of John
do you love (agapas) me." Peter's response was the same (philo)
a second time. Now he was probably preoccupied with the
fact that he had denied knowing Jesus not once but three times.
A third time Jesus questions (now Jesus switches to the word phileis)
Peter, and this time the emotional Peter comes through. The Gospel
writer tells us: "Peter was distressed that he had said to him
a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, Lord you know
everything; you know that I love (philo)you." Peter could now hear
Jesus' question. Jesus finding Peter incapable at this moment
of agape, Jesus settles for phileo.
Peter is to feed and shepherd. Now Peter has expressed his
"friendship love" for Jesus. Jesus goes on to tell him more.
Peter would have to surrender. "...when you were younger, you used to
dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and
lead you where you do not want to go." Peter will eventually lose
his life over Jesus--but he will do it unwillingly. Wes Howard-Brook, "The fisherman
who has, for better or worse, been in charge of his own destiny
throughout the narrative will, in the end, find his fate determined
by another. Is this "another" simply the Romans or is it God?" The text
leaves it open. In Peter's surrender Jesus could say to Simon son of John,
now Peter again, "Follow me."
Jesus uses images, symbols in dealing with Peter, feeder
of lambs and sheep, shepherd of sheep, bound for the Lord.
But Peter was preoccupied about the Beloved Disciple that was
following: "Lord what about him?" Peter is to incarnate the laying down
of life, the Beloved Disciple will model remaining in Jesus' love. The
Beloved Disciple apparently was not martyred. The different perspectives of the
ultimate ecclesial authority of the martyred Peter and his successors raises
the question of what is Jesus' will for the different band of disciples,
the Johannine community.
The content of Jesus' words to Peter is :don't worry about him,
just do what I want of you. Peter did this.
CONCLUSION
One of the aspects that stands out so clearly in these stories is
that the three persons are very different. They are treated very
differently by Jesus and they are missioned differently by Jesus.
Easter lessons for us would be: we are different people, one from the
other, we experience different darkness. Jesus comes to us and treats
each of us differently but offers us life and light. He also has a
particular expression of the Gospel that he wants you and I to live. Be
the Easter life of Jesus for yourself, for others, for the world.
Out of darkness into the Light
This Easter Sunday I would like to focus on the experience of three
people, Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Peter. They each have something to
teach us about ourselves, Jesus and the Resurrection. We will look at
their individual reaction to the death of Jesus, Jesus' individual
reaction to each of them, and the individual mission which was entrusted
to each. Each of them has a particular darkness: Mary Magdalene, sorrow;
Thomas, doubt; Peter, remorse.
MARY MAGDALENE
Her reaction to the death of Jesus: she is preoccupied with getting
the spices needed to anoint the body of Jesus. She does observe the
Sabbath rest, maybe because of what others would think. She comes to
the tomb with her programmed expectations. She is busy responding to
her loss by doing something. Her words are repeated three times almost
like a lament, "They have taken his body and I don't know where they
have laid him." She is so disoriented by this unexpected turn that she
doesn't recognize Jesus when he is present to her. She thinks he is the
gardener.
Jesus deals with Mary by calling her by name. He leads her out of
the darkness of her sorrow. In this calling she receives recognition
and again moves into action. She clings to Jesus. He then tells her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father."
Sandra Schneider's discussion of this is most enlightening. She says the
literal translation would be: "Not me (emphatic) continue to touch but
"go to my brothers and sisters." The emphatic placement of the "me"
at the beginning of the command and closest to the negative, which thus
seems to govern the pronoun "me" rather than the verb "touch," suggests
that what Jesus is forbidding is not so much the touching itself but Mary's
selection of the object to touch, namely, Jesus who stands before her as an
individual. ...In other words, I would suggest that what Jesus is really
doing is redirecting Mary's desire for union with himself from his physical
or earthly body (which in any case no longer exists because it is the
glorified Lord who stands before her in an appearance which is temporary)
to the new locus of his presence in the world, that is, the community of his
brothers and sisters, the disciples."
Jesus then missions her with the words, "But go to my brothers and
tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
God.'" The writer of the fourth Gospel states: "Mary of Magdala went
and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and what he told
her." Jesus had progressively led her from the darkness of sorrow to
the light of joy. This joy she could now share. Her witness to Jesus
would be different because she was different.
THOMAS
Thomas reacts to the death of Jesus by going off by himself alone to
deal with his loss. He probably went over his contacts with Jesus to
see where he (Thomas) had been wrong. This Jesus whom he thought had
the key that would tie all his searching and synthesizing together now
had died ignominiously on a Cross. He needed time alone to process his
thoughts, to regroup. He was dealing with the darkness of doubt. When he
does rejoin the group he is presented with the information that they
have seen the Lord. He thinks that this must be some kind of delusional
thinking. He must have his own personal proof, put his finger in the
wounds of the hand and his hand into the side.
Jesus comes to Thomas. Jesus particularizes his approach to Thomas.
There is nothing of the don't touch words directed to Mary Magdalene.
In fact Jesus tells him just the opposite, come and touch.
Thomas is overwhelmed and bursts forth his own, My Lord and My God.
His profession of faith must have enriched the others. Thomas was the
one who gathered so much information, he was always perceiving things,
even things that others missed. Doubting Thomas became believing Thomas
and inspired the others to greater depths of belief. Tradition has Thomas
bringing the Gospel as far away as India.
PETER
Peter responds to the death of Jesus by returning to his familiar
home and task, fishing in Galilee. He was overwhelmed by all that had
happened to Jesus and how it had all affected him. He obsessed about
his own protests,his taking a sword in the garden, his denials, his flight,
his going out and weeping bitterly. It was all too much for him. He was
overwhelmed by the darkness of his own powerful emotions. He was in a fog.
So when Jesus comes to them on the shore, Peter doesn't recognize
Jesus but John does. But upon recognition he does the impulsive thing
(Peter always seemed to be doing the impulsive thing) and jumps into the
water.
Jesus takes Peter by himself and questions him, "Simon, son of John
do you love me?" The Greek is important to understand the meaning of
these questions and Peter's response.
Jesus' first two questions are with the word agapas Peter
responds, "Yes Lord you know that I love (philo) you."
Jesus is asking about "self sacrificing love". Peter is responding
with the "love of friendship". It would seem that Peter's heart wasn't in it.
Maybe he was still dealing with the fact that he had denied Jesus.
A second time Jesus questions him: "Simon son of John
do you love (agapas) me." Peter's response was the same (philo)
a second time. Now he was probably preoccupied with the
fact that he had denied knowing Jesus not once but three times.
A third time Jesus questions (now Jesus switches to the word phileis)
Peter, and this time the emotional Peter comes through. The Gospel
writer tells us: "Peter was distressed that he had said to him
a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, Lord you know
everything; you know that I love (philo)you." Peter could now hear
Jesus' question. Jesus finding Peter incapable at this moment
of agape, Jesus settles for phileo.
Peter is to feed and shepherd. Now Peter has expressed his
"friendship love" for Jesus. Jesus goes on to tell him more.
Peter would have to surrender. "...when you were younger, you used to
dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and
lead you where you do not want to go." Peter will eventually lose
his life over Jesus--but he will do it unwillingly. Wes Howard-Brook, "The fisherman
who has, for better or worse, been in charge of his own destiny
throughout the narrative will, in the end, find his fate determined
by another. Is this "another" simply the Romans or is it God?" The text
leaves it open. In Peter's surrender Jesus could say to Simon son of John,
now Peter again, "Follow me."
Jesus uses images, symbols in dealing with Peter, feeder
of lambs and sheep, shepherd of sheep, bound for the Lord.
But Peter was preoccupied about the Beloved Disciple that was
following: "Lord what about him?" Peter is to incarnate the laying down
of life, the Beloved Disciple will model remaining in Jesus' love. The
Beloved Disciple apparently was not martyred. The different perspectives of the
ultimate ecclesial authority of the martyred Peter and his successors raises
the question of what is Jesus' will for the different band of disciples,
the Johannine community.
The content of Jesus' words to Peter is :don't worry about him,
just do what I want of you. Peter did this.
CONCLUSION
One of the aspects that stands out so clearly in these stories is
that the three persons are very different. They are treated very
differently by Jesus and they are missioned differently by Jesus.
Easter lessons for us would be: we are different people, one from the
other, we experience different darkness. Jesus comes to us and treats
each of us differently but offers us life and light. He also has a
particular expression of the Gospel that he wants you and I to live. Be
the Easter life of Jesus for yourself, for others, for the world.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Palm/Passion Sunday
from: The Passion and Resurrection (Narratives of Jesus/A commentary) by Stephen J. Binz, p. 39,40
"The primary source of Matthew's passion account is the Gospel of Mark. Matthew follows Mark's basic sequence and includes every episode from his account. Yet, while they are strikingly similar, there are very important differences since every addition, deletion, and rearrangement in Matthew is done for a purpose. It is primarily through these differences that we are able to see how Matthew reinterprets Mark and develops his own theological themes.
Matthew heightens the dignity and majestic quality of Jesus throughout his passion account. While retaining Mark's emphasis on Jesus' suffering and abandonment, it is clearly the all-knowing and all-powerful Son of God who suffers. Jesus undergoes his passion with full prophetic knowledge of what will happen and with full control over those events. Yet Jesus does not use his power and authority to save himself, but he remains the faithful Son of the Father. The identity of Jesus is not hidden as in Mark, so the dramatic quality of the unfolding of Jesus' identity is lessened. The drama of Matthew lies in Jesus' rejection by those he came to save.
Matthew wrote in a period of the Church characterized by extreme tension with Judaism. The Church and Synagogue had separated, and Christianity was becoming more Gentile in its character. Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is firmly embedded in the salvation history of Israel and that he fulfills God's messianic promises to the people. He also shows how the death and resurrection of Jesus foretells the conversion of the Gentiles and the opening of salvation to all peoples.
As the leaders of Israel refuse to recognize Jesus and reject the Messiah, Israel loses its exclusive privileges as God's people. Matthew is intent on showing how the Church is composed of both Jews and Gentiles. While not excluding Israel, the Kingdom of God is broadened to include all the nations. The promises made to Israel are carried on through the Church as the death and resurrection inaugurates a new age of salvation.
The Gospel ends not only with the promise as in Mark, but with fulfillment. The appearance of Jesus assures the disciples that he is present with them as they continue the mission he left for them. The proclamation of the Gospel and the gathering of God's people is the task of the Church until the end of the age. The resurrection is a foretaste of the final glorious coming of Jesus. He comes to his disciples with full authority as the triumphant Son of God. He assures his community of disciples that he is with them always as they take up their universal mission."
After hearing this passion account, what action am I called to do?
"The primary source of Matthew's passion account is the Gospel of Mark. Matthew follows Mark's basic sequence and includes every episode from his account. Yet, while they are strikingly similar, there are very important differences since every addition, deletion, and rearrangement in Matthew is done for a purpose. It is primarily through these differences that we are able to see how Matthew reinterprets Mark and develops his own theological themes.
Matthew heightens the dignity and majestic quality of Jesus throughout his passion account. While retaining Mark's emphasis on Jesus' suffering and abandonment, it is clearly the all-knowing and all-powerful Son of God who suffers. Jesus undergoes his passion with full prophetic knowledge of what will happen and with full control over those events. Yet Jesus does not use his power and authority to save himself, but he remains the faithful Son of the Father. The identity of Jesus is not hidden as in Mark, so the dramatic quality of the unfolding of Jesus' identity is lessened. The drama of Matthew lies in Jesus' rejection by those he came to save.
Matthew wrote in a period of the Church characterized by extreme tension with Judaism. The Church and Synagogue had separated, and Christianity was becoming more Gentile in its character. Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is firmly embedded in the salvation history of Israel and that he fulfills God's messianic promises to the people. He also shows how the death and resurrection of Jesus foretells the conversion of the Gentiles and the opening of salvation to all peoples.
As the leaders of Israel refuse to recognize Jesus and reject the Messiah, Israel loses its exclusive privileges as God's people. Matthew is intent on showing how the Church is composed of both Jews and Gentiles. While not excluding Israel, the Kingdom of God is broadened to include all the nations. The promises made to Israel are carried on through the Church as the death and resurrection inaugurates a new age of salvation.
The Gospel ends not only with the promise as in Mark, but with fulfillment. The appearance of Jesus assures the disciples that he is present with them as they continue the mission he left for them. The proclamation of the Gospel and the gathering of God's people is the task of the Church until the end of the age. The resurrection is a foretaste of the final glorious coming of Jesus. He comes to his disciples with full authority as the triumphant Son of God. He assures his community of disciples that he is with them always as they take up their universal mission."
After hearing this passion account, what action am I called to do?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Lent 5 A
Fifth Sunday of Lent "A"
l. WHO: l) Narrator, 2) Jesus, 3) Disciples, Thomas, 4) Martha, 5)
Mary, 6) Lazarus, 7) Jews.
2. WHERE: Stages where action takes place:
l) Home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus in Bethany near
Jerusalem (under two miles away).
2) beyond the Jordan.
3) Place near Bethany of Jerusalem where Jesus
stops.
4) Tomb.
5) Sanhedrin.
3. WHAT:
a) Jesus comes from "across the Jordan" to Bethany (10:40-ll:l-l9).
b) Martha comes out to meet Jesus (ll:20-22).
c) Jesus declares: "I am the resurrection and the life."
(ll:23-27)
a')Mary comes out to meet Jesus. (ll: 28-32).
b')Lazarus comes out of the tomb (ll:33-44).
4. OBSERVATIONS:
l) Constant motion: message of distress goes from Bethany near
Jerusalem to Jesus. (We are not told how.) Jesus and his disciples move toward Bethany. The Jewish friends of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus come out from Jerusalem to
comfort Martha and Mary (ll:l9). Martha moves to Jesus. Martha moves to
Mary. Mary moves to Jesus. All move to the tomb. Lazarus moves out of
the tomb. Informers move to Pharisees. Jesus and his company move to
Ephraim in northern Judea.
2) Death-rising to new life motif runs through the whole
story, for it is applied to Lazarus, to Jesus, to the individual
christian (vv. l6,23-26) and to the christian community (vv. 50-52).
3) The meaning of the miracle is explained at the beginning
(v. 4) "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."in the centre (vv. 23-26), and toward the end of the account (v.
40).
4) The point that Lazarus is really dead is made in several
different ways. Jesus delays two days. The disciples misunderstand
Jesus to mean that he is asleep and Jesus clarifies that he is dead.
ll:l7 The mention of four days in the tomb. ll:39 He has been dead four
days. This to combat the common belief of the time that the spirit of
the dead lingered for three days; no chance that Lazarus was in a comma.
5) Martha's opening words to Jesus express both complaint and
confidence. Her confession rings more of the old than it does of the
radical new life offered by Jesus.
6) Jesus' tears may be a sign of his love for this family, as
some in the crowd suppose, but that is not all they signify. Jesus
weeps also because of the destructive power of death that is still at
work in the world. Once again one sees the intersection of the intimate
and the cosmic: the pain of this family reminds Jesus of the pain of the
world.
7) Martha and Mary model how people are to live as they
struggle to free themselves from the power of death that defines and
limits them and move to embrace the new promises and possibilities of
life available through Jesus.
8) Lazarus' resurrection parallels that of Jesus himself:
a) a mourning Mary at the tomb (ll:3l and 20:ll); b) a cave tomb closed
with a stone (ll:38, 4l and 20:l); c) grave clothes plus a face cloth
(ll:44 and 20:6-7); d) a special role given to Thomas (ll:l6 and 20:28-
28).
9) Note again the listing of titles for Jesus: Lord, Son of
God, the Christ, who is coming into the world, teacher, rabbi, "I am the
resurrection and the life."
l0) Jesus has given (physical) life to Lazarus as a sign of his power to
give eternal life on this earth (realized eschatology, present time) and as a
promise that on the last day he will raise the dead (final eschatology, not yet,
future).
Development of homily:
Introduction to Mass: today's readings are a reminder that we all run
into dead ends (callejones sin salida) in our lives. In the first
reading we hear of the Jews dead end. They are in exile in Babylon away
from their homeland and have been so for many years. This captivity and
exile appears to be a dead end. In the second reading St. Paul speaks of the dead
end which is sin. And in the Gospel the ultimate dead end is death.
Homily: Introduction to Gospel. This Sunday the Gospel is again a kind
of drama or teatro. We have the different persons: narrator, Jesus,
disciples and Thomas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and the Jews. We have four
different stages on which the action takes place: the home of Martha,
Mary and Lazarus; the place where Jesus is when he receives the message
and where he stays for two days; the place near Bethany where Jesus
arrives and the sisters come out to meet him; and the tomb of Lazarus.
There is plenty of action or movement in the Gospel. Lots of arrivals and departures.
1) The Gospel writer John makes the point four times that Lazarus is
dead. He does this because the Jews had a belief that after a person
died their spirit hovered near for three days and then left. John wants
his readers including us to know that Lazarus was dead. (l) He states
that Jesus delays two days before going up to Judea. It was a day's
journey for the message about Lazarus to reach Jesus. He delayed for
two days, and then it took another day to reach Bethany (four days).
(2) In Jesus' dialogue with the disciples he first says that Lazarus is
sleeping and he is going to wake him. But when the disciples
misunderstand this to mean a natural sleep. Jesus says "clearly" he is
dead. (3) When Jesus arrives near Bethany the narrator tells us that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. (4) At the tomb Martha
says, "Lord it has been four days now, surely there will be a stench."
John wishes us to know that this is not a case of a coma or some kind of
resuscitation. This is a raising from the dead. A conquering of one of
our greatest enemies: death.
2) We follow Martha and Mary in this story. In some ways they are
similar to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke's Gospel when Jesus
comes to eat at their home. There the active one is Martha, busy about the preparations and she scolds Jesus. Mary is sitting at Jesus feet listening. In this story Martha is also the active one who goes out to meet Jesus. She leaves her culture of mourning in the house to go out to Jesus. She speaks with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and hope. Her first words to Jesus are, "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died." These later are the exact words that Mary will use. Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise again. She believes he will rise again in the Resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Jesus affirms this. "I am the Resurrection and the Life whoever
believes in me, even if they die, will live..." but then Jesus adds,
"whoever is alive and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" To the question, Martha has the right words, "I believe you are
the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world." But she
doesn't completely understand the power of life that Jesus has. Because
when Jesus orders the stone taken away, Martha reminds Jesus and us,
that he probably stinks because he has been dead for four days. So
Jesus has a surprise in store for Martha. He gives Lazarus life not
just after death in the resurrection of the last day, but restores him
to life now, in the present.
Martha's relationship with her sister seems to have gotten better
since the Lukan story. Here in John she does not scold her sister Mary
but simply goes and calls her saying, "The Teacher is here and is asking
for you." When Mary arrives at the place where Jesus is she fell at his
feet. She is in the same position as in the Lukan story.
3) We follow Jesus in this story also. What are some of the things
that Jesus does? We usually note first of all that he weeps. But he
also loves Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He calls out loudly to Lararus. He
raises Lazarus to death. But he also prays. But John also puzzles us
with some others things that Jesus does. He delays for two days before
coming to Bethany. He did this at Cana with his mother (chapter 2), with the royal official (chapter 4) and with his brothers (chapter 7). Sandra Schneider interprets the delay this way: "The purpose of these refusals and/or delays in Jesus' response is to emphasize the sovereign independence of Jesus' action in relation to human initiative."
When Jesus tells them that he is going to go up to Bethany. They
caution him that people have just been trying to stone him. Their
caution is not to go. But Jesus goes anyway. God also does some things in our lives that puzzle us. We do some things that puzzle others. We may even puzzle ourselves.
Jesus also "was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions." What does this signify?
Jesus is troubled in spirit at the death of a friend. Death can do that
to all of us, trouble us in spirit. But the Greek word here has the
meaning also of being angry. Jesus is angry before the reign of death,
the suffering caused to this family that he loves. He also seems to be
angry at the unbelief of the people. Some criticize him: "He opened
the eyes of that blind man. Why could he not have done something to
stop this man from dying."
4) Lastly what do the second parts of Jesus words to Martha mean for
us, "and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Jesus
promises us his life, eternal life while we are still on earth. We must realize and believe in his intimate real presence in and through his physical absence. "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (chapter 20:29) How do we receive the life of Jesus here on earth? When we exemplify Jesus' active non violent resistance. When we pray. When we do some good deed for another. When we try to get closer to Jesus. When we receive the sacraments. And on and on... And what is the promise of Jesus life for us now? Jesus has the power to conquer death. When the death of a friend or family members is before us we must recall the promise of eternal life. But Jesus has the power to conquer many different kinds of deaths. Suffering, sickness are types of death. Jesus has the power to overcome these deaths, one possibility is even through a healing. He can overcome death in the form of sin, captivity, addictions, exile, war, etc. Jesus can overcome various kinds of "dead ends." He can give us the help to discover a way out, to resolve problems, difficulties. Do you have problems with your children, with your parents, in a relationship with another person? Jesus has the power to give us hope when we have no hope. Jesus has the power over death which is the most powerful dead end. We must live with the life of Christ now to live with the eternal life of Christ forever.
During Lent we hear Jesus say, I am the Resurrection and the Life,
I am the light of the world, I am living water. In John's Gospel he
also tells us I am the Way the Truth and the Life. I am the Good
Shepherd, I am the vine and you are the branches. Let us live in this
life.
l. WHO: l) Narrator, 2) Jesus, 3) Disciples, Thomas, 4) Martha, 5)
Mary, 6) Lazarus, 7) Jews.
2. WHERE: Stages where action takes place:
l) Home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus in Bethany near
Jerusalem (under two miles away).
2) beyond the Jordan.
3) Place near Bethany of Jerusalem where Jesus
stops.
4) Tomb.
5) Sanhedrin.
3. WHAT:
a) Jesus comes from "across the Jordan" to Bethany (10:40-ll:l-l9).
b) Martha comes out to meet Jesus (ll:20-22).
c) Jesus declares: "I am the resurrection and the life."
(ll:23-27)
a')Mary comes out to meet Jesus. (ll: 28-32).
b')Lazarus comes out of the tomb (ll:33-44).
4. OBSERVATIONS:
l) Constant motion: message of distress goes from Bethany near
Jerusalem to Jesus. (We are not told how.) Jesus and his disciples move toward Bethany. The Jewish friends of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus come out from Jerusalem to
comfort Martha and Mary (ll:l9). Martha moves to Jesus. Martha moves to
Mary. Mary moves to Jesus. All move to the tomb. Lazarus moves out of
the tomb. Informers move to Pharisees. Jesus and his company move to
Ephraim in northern Judea.
2) Death-rising to new life motif runs through the whole
story, for it is applied to Lazarus, to Jesus, to the individual
christian (vv. l6,23-26) and to the christian community (vv. 50-52).
3) The meaning of the miracle is explained at the beginning
(v. 4) "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."in the centre (vv. 23-26), and toward the end of the account (v.
40).
4) The point that Lazarus is really dead is made in several
different ways. Jesus delays two days. The disciples misunderstand
Jesus to mean that he is asleep and Jesus clarifies that he is dead.
ll:l7 The mention of four days in the tomb. ll:39 He has been dead four
days. This to combat the common belief of the time that the spirit of
the dead lingered for three days; no chance that Lazarus was in a comma.
5) Martha's opening words to Jesus express both complaint and
confidence. Her confession rings more of the old than it does of the
radical new life offered by Jesus.
6) Jesus' tears may be a sign of his love for this family, as
some in the crowd suppose, but that is not all they signify. Jesus
weeps also because of the destructive power of death that is still at
work in the world. Once again one sees the intersection of the intimate
and the cosmic: the pain of this family reminds Jesus of the pain of the
world.
7) Martha and Mary model how people are to live as they
struggle to free themselves from the power of death that defines and
limits them and move to embrace the new promises and possibilities of
life available through Jesus.
8) Lazarus' resurrection parallels that of Jesus himself:
a) a mourning Mary at the tomb (ll:3l and 20:ll); b) a cave tomb closed
with a stone (ll:38, 4l and 20:l); c) grave clothes plus a face cloth
(ll:44 and 20:6-7); d) a special role given to Thomas (ll:l6 and 20:28-
28).
9) Note again the listing of titles for Jesus: Lord, Son of
God, the Christ, who is coming into the world, teacher, rabbi, "I am the
resurrection and the life."
l0) Jesus has given (physical) life to Lazarus as a sign of his power to
give eternal life on this earth (realized eschatology, present time) and as a
promise that on the last day he will raise the dead (final eschatology, not yet,
future).
Development of homily:
Introduction to Mass: today's readings are a reminder that we all run
into dead ends (callejones sin salida) in our lives. In the first
reading we hear of the Jews dead end. They are in exile in Babylon away
from their homeland and have been so for many years. This captivity and
exile appears to be a dead end. In the second reading St. Paul speaks of the dead
end which is sin. And in the Gospel the ultimate dead end is death.
Homily: Introduction to Gospel. This Sunday the Gospel is again a kind
of drama or teatro. We have the different persons: narrator, Jesus,
disciples and Thomas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and the Jews. We have four
different stages on which the action takes place: the home of Martha,
Mary and Lazarus; the place where Jesus is when he receives the message
and where he stays for two days; the place near Bethany where Jesus
arrives and the sisters come out to meet him; and the tomb of Lazarus.
There is plenty of action or movement in the Gospel. Lots of arrivals and departures.
1) The Gospel writer John makes the point four times that Lazarus is
dead. He does this because the Jews had a belief that after a person
died their spirit hovered near for three days and then left. John wants
his readers including us to know that Lazarus was dead. (l) He states
that Jesus delays two days before going up to Judea. It was a day's
journey for the message about Lazarus to reach Jesus. He delayed for
two days, and then it took another day to reach Bethany (four days).
(2) In Jesus' dialogue with the disciples he first says that Lazarus is
sleeping and he is going to wake him. But when the disciples
misunderstand this to mean a natural sleep. Jesus says "clearly" he is
dead. (3) When Jesus arrives near Bethany the narrator tells us that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. (4) At the tomb Martha
says, "Lord it has been four days now, surely there will be a stench."
John wishes us to know that this is not a case of a coma or some kind of
resuscitation. This is a raising from the dead. A conquering of one of
our greatest enemies: death.
2) We follow Martha and Mary in this story. In some ways they are
similar to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke's Gospel when Jesus
comes to eat at their home. There the active one is Martha, busy about the preparations and she scolds Jesus. Mary is sitting at Jesus feet listening. In this story Martha is also the active one who goes out to meet Jesus. She leaves her culture of mourning in the house to go out to Jesus. She speaks with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and hope. Her first words to Jesus are, "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died." These later are the exact words that Mary will use. Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise again. She believes he will rise again in the Resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Jesus affirms this. "I am the Resurrection and the Life whoever
believes in me, even if they die, will live..." but then Jesus adds,
"whoever is alive and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" To the question, Martha has the right words, "I believe you are
the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world." But she
doesn't completely understand the power of life that Jesus has. Because
when Jesus orders the stone taken away, Martha reminds Jesus and us,
that he probably stinks because he has been dead for four days. So
Jesus has a surprise in store for Martha. He gives Lazarus life not
just after death in the resurrection of the last day, but restores him
to life now, in the present.
Martha's relationship with her sister seems to have gotten better
since the Lukan story. Here in John she does not scold her sister Mary
but simply goes and calls her saying, "The Teacher is here and is asking
for you." When Mary arrives at the place where Jesus is she fell at his
feet. She is in the same position as in the Lukan story.
3) We follow Jesus in this story also. What are some of the things
that Jesus does? We usually note first of all that he weeps. But he
also loves Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He calls out loudly to Lararus. He
raises Lazarus to death. But he also prays. But John also puzzles us
with some others things that Jesus does. He delays for two days before
coming to Bethany. He did this at Cana with his mother (chapter 2), with the royal official (chapter 4) and with his brothers (chapter 7). Sandra Schneider interprets the delay this way: "The purpose of these refusals and/or delays in Jesus' response is to emphasize the sovereign independence of Jesus' action in relation to human initiative."
When Jesus tells them that he is going to go up to Bethany. They
caution him that people have just been trying to stone him. Their
caution is not to go. But Jesus goes anyway. God also does some things in our lives that puzzle us. We do some things that puzzle others. We may even puzzle ourselves.
Jesus also "was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions." What does this signify?
Jesus is troubled in spirit at the death of a friend. Death can do that
to all of us, trouble us in spirit. But the Greek word here has the
meaning also of being angry. Jesus is angry before the reign of death,
the suffering caused to this family that he loves. He also seems to be
angry at the unbelief of the people. Some criticize him: "He opened
the eyes of that blind man. Why could he not have done something to
stop this man from dying."
4) Lastly what do the second parts of Jesus words to Martha mean for
us, "and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Jesus
promises us his life, eternal life while we are still on earth. We must realize and believe in his intimate real presence in and through his physical absence. "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (chapter 20:29) How do we receive the life of Jesus here on earth? When we exemplify Jesus' active non violent resistance. When we pray. When we do some good deed for another. When we try to get closer to Jesus. When we receive the sacraments. And on and on... And what is the promise of Jesus life for us now? Jesus has the power to conquer death. When the death of a friend or family members is before us we must recall the promise of eternal life. But Jesus has the power to conquer many different kinds of deaths. Suffering, sickness are types of death. Jesus has the power to overcome these deaths, one possibility is even through a healing. He can overcome death in the form of sin, captivity, addictions, exile, war, etc. Jesus can overcome various kinds of "dead ends." He can give us the help to discover a way out, to resolve problems, difficulties. Do you have problems with your children, with your parents, in a relationship with another person? Jesus has the power to give us hope when we have no hope. Jesus has the power over death which is the most powerful dead end. We must live with the life of Christ now to live with the eternal life of Christ forever.
During Lent we hear Jesus say, I am the Resurrection and the Life,
I am the light of the world, I am living water. In John's Gospel he
also tells us I am the Way the Truth and the Life. I am the Good
Shepherd, I am the vine and you are the branches. Let us live in this
life.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Lent 4 A
Fourth Sunday of Lent: Blind man.
7 Dialogues: notice titles for Jesus.
notice the attitudes and escalating conflict.
A) Jesus and the disciples:
Disciples: Rabbi was it his sin or his parents' that caused him to
be born blind?
Jesus: Neither
B) Neighbors and blind man:
Neighbors: Isn't this the fellow who used to sit and beg?
Some: yes.
Others: no, just looks like him.
Blind Man: I'm the one all right.
Neighbors: How were your eyes opened?
Blind man: That man they call Jesus...
Neighbors: Where is he?
Blind man: I have no idea.
"Next they took the man who had been born blind to the Pharisees.
Why didn't they look for Jesus?
C) Pharisees: how he had recovered his sight.
Blind man: He put mud on my eyes. I washed it off, and now I can
see.
Some Pharisees: cannot be from God, does not keep Sabbath. (ignore
the miracle, legalistic preoccupation, breaking Sabbath.)
Other Pharisees: If a sinner, how perform signs like these?
(Division).
Pharisees: Since it was your eyes he opened, what do you say about
him?
Blind man: He is a prophet. (Received sight and "insight".
"The Jews refused to believe that he had really been born blind and had
begun to see, until they summoned the parents.
D) Pharisees: (effect of three rapid fire questions?) "Is this your
son? Do you attest that he was blind at birth? How do you account for
the fact that he now can see?
Parents: We know this is our son, and we know he was blind at birth.
But how he can see or who opened his eyes, we have no idea. Ask him.
"A second time they summoned the man..." (what tone does summoned give
to the story?)
E) Pharisees: "Give glory to God! First of all, we know that this man
is a sinner." (intimidation, know it all attitude)
Blind man: "I would not know whether he is a sinner or not. I know
this much: I was blind before; now I can see.
They persisted: "Just what did he do to you? How did he open your
eyes?
Blind man: I have told you once, but you would not listen to me.
(heating up more confrontational) Why do you want to hear it all over
again? Do not tell me you want to become his disciples too. (sarcastic)
Pharisees: (retorted scornfully) "You are the one who is that man's
disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we have no idea where this man comes from.
Blind man: (He came back at them) "Well this is news...God does not
hear sinners...if this man were not from God, he could never have dones
such a thing.
Pharisees: (they exclaimed) "What!" you are steeped in sin from your
birth, and you are giving us lectures." (name calling)
With that they threw him out bodily. (when all else fails turn to
physical violence)
F) When Jesus heard of his expulsion, he sought him out and asked him:
Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of man?
Blind man: Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him.
Jesus: You have seen him, he is speaking to you now.
Blind man: I do believe, Lord. (He bowed down to worship him.
Jesus: "I came into this world to divide it, to make the sightless
see and the seeing blind."
G) Some of the Pharisees around him picked this up saying:
Pharisees: You are not counting us in with the blind, are you?
(want a certain answer, "don't you think? takes away some of the
freedom.)
Jesus: If you were blind there would be no sin in that. But we see
you say, and your sin remains. (Not innocent physically blind willing to
accept the testimony of others, but seeing know it alls, spiritually
blind sinners.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Development of Homily:
l) Go through the various names, titles used for Jesus.
2) Look at different attitudes of the people and dynamics that
follow:
a) disciples (mistaken)
b) neighbors (divided)
c) blind man and pharisees (legalistic, blind to miracle)
"refused to believe"; "summon his parents", three questions in rapid
fire order, "second time summon him", change from question to statement
"we know..." "...sinner..." THE NARRATOR GIVES THE FEELING AT TIMES BY THE THE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS HE USES, "they persisted" (skeptical, repeat same questions) (confrontational response of blind man), retorted scornfully
"we know...", he came back at them, they exclaimed (name calling,
accusation) "sinner", "threw him out bodily" (physical violence).
Jesus and pharisees, final dialogue. (two levels: physical
blindness, no; spiritual blindness ("we see") we know it all, yes.
d) blind man and Jesus. Contrast clear, open direct exchanges.
3) Jesus is the light of the world. (God's love is as certain as the dawn.)
a) as the sun shines its rays on us as on a beach, so the Son of
God shine on us, surround us, envelop us, help us to grow and heal.
(EXTERNAL).
b) light inside of us: light in our hearts, affect the words
that come out of our mouth, affect what we see (see injustice,
oppression, etc.), will lead to actions of a particular kind.
4) All of us have blind spots (manchas ciegueras).
5) Debbie Boone had a song that was very popular: YOU LIGHT UP MY
LIFE. "You light up my life, you give me hope to carry on, you light up
my days and fill my heart with love, so many ..." There was some
discussion about whether this song was directed to God or to some other
person. But it applies to both God (who lights up our life, gives us
hope to carry on, etc.) and to other people (who light up our life, give
us hope to carry on, etc.) and to us (we are to bring light to our world).
7 Dialogues: notice titles for Jesus.
notice the attitudes and escalating conflict.
A) Jesus and the disciples:
Disciples: Rabbi was it his sin or his parents' that caused him to
be born blind?
Jesus: Neither
B) Neighbors and blind man:
Neighbors: Isn't this the fellow who used to sit and beg?
Some: yes.
Others: no, just looks like him.
Blind Man: I'm the one all right.
Neighbors: How were your eyes opened?
Blind man: That man they call Jesus...
Neighbors: Where is he?
Blind man: I have no idea.
"Next they took the man who had been born blind to the Pharisees.
Why didn't they look for Jesus?
C) Pharisees: how he had recovered his sight.
Blind man: He put mud on my eyes. I washed it off, and now I can
see.
Some Pharisees: cannot be from God, does not keep Sabbath. (ignore
the miracle, legalistic preoccupation, breaking Sabbath.)
Other Pharisees: If a sinner, how perform signs like these?
(Division).
Pharisees: Since it was your eyes he opened, what do you say about
him?
Blind man: He is a prophet. (Received sight and "insight".
"The Jews refused to believe that he had really been born blind and had
begun to see, until they summoned the parents.
D) Pharisees: (effect of three rapid fire questions?) "Is this your
son? Do you attest that he was blind at birth? How do you account for
the fact that he now can see?
Parents: We know this is our son, and we know he was blind at birth.
But how he can see or who opened his eyes, we have no idea. Ask him.
"A second time they summoned the man..." (what tone does summoned give
to the story?)
E) Pharisees: "Give glory to God! First of all, we know that this man
is a sinner." (intimidation, know it all attitude)
Blind man: "I would not know whether he is a sinner or not. I know
this much: I was blind before; now I can see.
They persisted: "Just what did he do to you? How did he open your
eyes?
Blind man: I have told you once, but you would not listen to me.
(heating up more confrontational) Why do you want to hear it all over
again? Do not tell me you want to become his disciples too. (sarcastic)
Pharisees: (retorted scornfully) "You are the one who is that man's
disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we have no idea where this man comes from.
Blind man: (He came back at them) "Well this is news...God does not
hear sinners...if this man were not from God, he could never have dones
such a thing.
Pharisees: (they exclaimed) "What!" you are steeped in sin from your
birth, and you are giving us lectures." (name calling)
With that they threw him out bodily. (when all else fails turn to
physical violence)
F) When Jesus heard of his expulsion, he sought him out and asked him:
Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of man?
Blind man: Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him.
Jesus: You have seen him, he is speaking to you now.
Blind man: I do believe, Lord. (He bowed down to worship him.
Jesus: "I came into this world to divide it, to make the sightless
see and the seeing blind."
G) Some of the Pharisees around him picked this up saying:
Pharisees: You are not counting us in with the blind, are you?
(want a certain answer, "don't you think? takes away some of the
freedom.)
Jesus: If you were blind there would be no sin in that. But we see
you say, and your sin remains. (Not innocent physically blind willing to
accept the testimony of others, but seeing know it alls, spiritually
blind sinners.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Development of Homily:
l) Go through the various names, titles used for Jesus.
2) Look at different attitudes of the people and dynamics that
follow:
a) disciples (mistaken)
b) neighbors (divided)
c) blind man and pharisees (legalistic, blind to miracle)
"refused to believe"; "summon his parents", three questions in rapid
fire order, "second time summon him", change from question to statement
"we know..." "...sinner..." THE NARRATOR GIVES THE FEELING AT TIMES BY THE THE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS HE USES, "they persisted" (skeptical, repeat same questions) (confrontational response of blind man), retorted scornfully
"we know...", he came back at them, they exclaimed (name calling,
accusation) "sinner", "threw him out bodily" (physical violence).
Jesus and pharisees, final dialogue. (two levels: physical
blindness, no; spiritual blindness ("we see") we know it all, yes.
d) blind man and Jesus. Contrast clear, open direct exchanges.
3) Jesus is the light of the world. (God's love is as certain as the dawn.)
a) as the sun shines its rays on us as on a beach, so the Son of
God shine on us, surround us, envelop us, help us to grow and heal.
(EXTERNAL).
b) light inside of us: light in our hearts, affect the words
that come out of our mouth, affect what we see (see injustice,
oppression, etc.), will lead to actions of a particular kind.
4) All of us have blind spots (manchas ciegueras).
5) Debbie Boone had a song that was very popular: YOU LIGHT UP MY
LIFE. "You light up my life, you give me hope to carry on, you light up
my days and fill my heart with love, so many ..." There was some
discussion about whether this song was directed to God or to some other
person. But it applies to both God (who lights up our life, gives us
hope to carry on, etc.) and to other people (who light up our life, give
us hope to carry on, etc.) and to us (we are to bring light to our world).
Lent 5 A
Fifth Sunday of Lent "A"
l. WHO: l) Narrator, 2) Jesus, 3) Disciples, Thomas, 4) Martha, 5)
Mary, 6) Lazarus, 7) Jews.
2. WHERE: Stages where action takes place:
l) Home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus in Bethany near
Jerusalem (under two miles away).
2) beyond the Jordan.
3) Place near Bethany of Jerusalem where Jesus
stops.
4) Tomb.
5) Sanhedrin.
3. WHAT:
a) Jesus comes from "across the Jordan" to Bethany (10:40-ll:l-l9).
b) Martha comes out to meet Jesus (ll:20-22).
c) Jesus declares: "I am the resurrection and the life."
(ll:23-27)
a')Mary comes out to meet Jesus. (ll: 28-32).
b')Lazarus comes out of the tomb (ll:33-44).
4. OBSERVATIONS:
l) Constant motion: message of distress goes from Bethany near
Jerusalem to Jesus. (We are not told how.) Jesus and his disciples move toward Bethany. The Jewish friends of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus come out from Jerusalem to
comfort Martha and Mary (ll:l9). Martha moves to Jesus. Martha moves to
Mary. Mary moves to Jesus. All move to the tomb. Lazarus moves out of
the tomb. Informers move to Pharisees. Jesus and his company move to
Ephraim in northern Judea.
2) Death-rising to new life motif runs through the whole
story, for it is applied to Lazarus, to Jesus, to the individual
christian (vv. l6,23-26) and to the christian community (vv. 50-52).
3) The meaning of the miracle is explained at the beginning
(v. 4) "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."in the centre (vv. 23-26), and toward the end of the account (v.
40).
4) The point that Lazarus is really dead is made in several
different ways. Jesus delays two days. The disciples misunderstand
Jesus to mean that he is asleep and Jesus clarifies that he is dead.
ll:l7 The mention of four days in the tomb. ll:39 He has been dead four
days. This to combat the common belief of the time that the spirit of
the dead lingered for three days; no chance that Lazarus was in a comma.
5) Martha's opening words to Jesus express both complaint and
confidence. Her confession rings more of the old than it does of the
radical new life offered by Jesus.
6) Jesus' tears may be a sign of his love for this family, as
some in the crowd suppose, but that is not all they signify. Jesus
weeps also because of the destructive power of death that is still at
work in the world. Once again one sees the intersection of the intimate
and the cosmic: the pain of this family reminds Jesus of the pain of the
world.
7) Martha and Mary model how people are to live as they
struggle to free themselves from the power of death that defines and
limits them and move to embrace the new promises and possibilities of
life available through Jesus.
8) Lazarus' resurrection parallels that of Jesus himself:
a) a mourning Mary at the tomb (ll:3l and 20:ll); b) a cave tomb closed
with a stone (ll:38, 4l and 20:l); c) grave clothes plus a face cloth
(ll:44 and 20:6-7); d) a special role given to Thomas (ll:l6 and 20:28-
28).
9) Note again the listing of titles for Jesus: Lord, Son of
God, the Christ, who is coming into the world, teacher, rabbi, "I am the
resurrection and the life."
l0) Jesus has given (physical) life to Lazarus as a sign of his power to
give eternal life on this earth (realized eschatology, present time) and as a
promise that on the last day he will raise the dead (final eschatology, not yet,
future).
Development of homily:
Introduction to Mass: today's readings are a reminder that we all run
into dead ends (callejones sin salida) in our lives. In the first
reading we hear of the Jews dead end. They are in exile in Babylon away
from their homeland and have been so for many years. This captivity and
exile appears to be a dead end. In the second reading St. Paul speaks of the dead
end which is sin. And in the Gospel the ultimate dead end is death.
Homily: Introduction to Gospel. This Sunday the Gospel is again a kind
of drama or teatro. We have the different persons: narrator, Jesus,
disciples and Thomas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and the Jews. We have four
different stages on which the action takes place: the home of Martha,
Mary and Lazarus; the place where Jesus is when he receives the message
and where he stays for two days; the place near Bethany where Jesus
arrives and the sisters come out to meet him; and the tomb of Lazarus.
There is plenty of action or movement in the Gospel. Lots of arrivals and departures.
1) The Gospel writer John makes the point four times that Lazarus is
dead. He does this because the Jews had a belief that after a person
died their spirit hovered near for three days and then left. John wants
his readers including us to know that Lazarus was dead. (l) He states
that Jesus delays two days before going up to Judea. It was a day's
journey for the message about Lazarus to reach Jesus. He delayed for
two days, and then it took another day to reach Bethany (four days).
(2) In Jesus' dialogue with the disciples he first says that Lazarus is
sleeping and he is going to wake him. But when the disciples
misunderstand this to mean a natural sleep. Jesus says "clearly" he is
dead. (3) When Jesus arrives near Bethany the narrator tells us that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. (4) At the tomb Martha
says, "Lord it has been four days now, surely there will be a stench."
John wishes us to know that this is not a case of a coma or some kind of
resuscitation. This is a raising from the dead. A conquering of one of
our greatest enemies: death.
2) We follow Martha and Mary in this story. In some ways they are
similar to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke's Gospel when Jesus
comes to eat at their home. There the active one is Martha, busy about the preparations and she scolds Jesus. Mary is sitting at Jesus feet listening. In this story Martha is also the active one who goes out to meet Jesus. She leaves her culture of mourning in the house to go out to Jesus. She speaks with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and hope. Her first words to Jesus are, "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died." These later are the exact words that Mary will use. Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise again. She believes he will rise again in the Resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Jesus affirms this. "I am the Resurrection and the Life whoever
believes in me, even if they die, will live..." but then Jesus adds,
"whoever is alive and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" To the question, Martha has the right words, "I believe you are
the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world." But she
doesn't completely understand the power of life that Jesus has. Because
when Jesus orders the stone taken away, Martha reminds Jesus and us,
that he probably stinks because he has been dead for four days. So
Jesus has a surprise in store for Martha. He gives Lazarus life not
just after death in the resurrection of the last day, but restores him
to life now, in the present.
Martha's relationship with her sister seems to have gotten better
since the Lukan story. Here in John she does not scold her sister Mary
but simply goes and calls her saying, "The Teacher is here and is asking
for you." When Mary arrives at the place where Jesus is she fell at his
feet. She is in the same position as in the Lukan story.
3) We follow Jesus in this story also. What are some of the things
that Jesus does? We usually note first of all that he weeps. But he
also loves Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He calls out loudly to Lararus. He
raises Lazarus to death. But he also prays. But John also puzzles us
with some others things that Jesus does. He delays for two days before
coming to Bethany. He did this at Cana with his mother (chapter 2), with the royal official (chapter 4) and with his brothers (chapter 7). Sandra Schneider interprets the delay this way: "The purpose of these refusals and/or delays in Jesus' response is to emphasize the sovereign independence of Jesus' action in relation to human initiative."
When Jesus tells them that he is going to go up to Bethany. They
caution him that people have just been trying to stone him. Their
caution is not to go. But Jesus goes anyway. God also does some things in our lives that puzzle us. We do some things that puzzle others. We may even puzzle ourselves.
Jesus also "was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions." What does this signify?
Jesus is troubled in spirit at the death of a friend. Death can do that
to all of us, trouble us in spirit. But the Greek word here has the
meaning also of being angry. Jesus is angry before the reign of death,
the suffering caused to this family that he loves. He also seems to be
angry at the unbelief of the people. Some criticize him: "He opened
the eyes of that blind man. Why could he not have done something to
stop this man from dying."
4) Lastly what do the second parts of Jesus words to Martha mean for
us, "and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Jesus
promises us his life, eternal life while we are still on earth. We must realize and believe in his intimate real presence in and through his physical absence. "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (chapter 20:29) How do we receive the life of Jesus here on earth? When we exemplify Jesus' active non violent resistance. When we pray. When we do some good deed for another. When we try to get closer to Jesus. When we receive the sacraments. And on and on... And what is the promise of Jesus life for us now? Jesus has the power to conquer death. When the death of a friend or family members is before us we must recall the promise of eternal life. But Jesus has the power to conquer many different kinds of deaths. Suffering, sickness are types of death. Jesus has the power to overcome these deaths, one possibility is even through a healing. He can overcome death in the form of sin, captivity, addictions, exile, war, etc. Jesus can overcome various kinds of "dead ends." He can give us the help to discover a way out, to resolve problems, difficulties. Do you have problems with your children, with your parents, in a relationship with another person? Jesus has the power to give us hope when we have no hope. Jesus has the power over death which is the most powerful dead end. We must live with the life of Christ now to live with the eternal life of Christ forever.
During Lent we hear Jesus say, I am the Resurrection and the Life,
I am the light of the world, I am living water. In John's Gospel he
also tells us I am the Way the Truth and the Life. I am the Good
Shepherd, I am the vine and you are the branches. Let us live in this
life.
l. WHO: l) Narrator, 2) Jesus, 3) Disciples, Thomas, 4) Martha, 5)
Mary, 6) Lazarus, 7) Jews.
2. WHERE: Stages where action takes place:
l) Home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus in Bethany near
Jerusalem (under two miles away).
2) beyond the Jordan.
3) Place near Bethany of Jerusalem where Jesus
stops.
4) Tomb.
5) Sanhedrin.
3. WHAT:
a) Jesus comes from "across the Jordan" to Bethany (10:40-ll:l-l9).
b) Martha comes out to meet Jesus (ll:20-22).
c) Jesus declares: "I am the resurrection and the life."
(ll:23-27)
a')Mary comes out to meet Jesus. (ll: 28-32).
b')Lazarus comes out of the tomb (ll:33-44).
4. OBSERVATIONS:
l) Constant motion: message of distress goes from Bethany near
Jerusalem to Jesus. (We are not told how.) Jesus and his disciples move toward Bethany. The Jewish friends of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus come out from Jerusalem to
comfort Martha and Mary (ll:l9). Martha moves to Jesus. Martha moves to
Mary. Mary moves to Jesus. All move to the tomb. Lazarus moves out of
the tomb. Informers move to Pharisees. Jesus and his company move to
Ephraim in northern Judea.
2) Death-rising to new life motif runs through the whole
story, for it is applied to Lazarus, to Jesus, to the individual
christian (vv. l6,23-26) and to the christian community (vv. 50-52).
3) The meaning of the miracle is explained at the beginning
(v. 4) "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."in the centre (vv. 23-26), and toward the end of the account (v.
40).
4) The point that Lazarus is really dead is made in several
different ways. Jesus delays two days. The disciples misunderstand
Jesus to mean that he is asleep and Jesus clarifies that he is dead.
ll:l7 The mention of four days in the tomb. ll:39 He has been dead four
days. This to combat the common belief of the time that the spirit of
the dead lingered for three days; no chance that Lazarus was in a comma.
5) Martha's opening words to Jesus express both complaint and
confidence. Her confession rings more of the old than it does of the
radical new life offered by Jesus.
6) Jesus' tears may be a sign of his love for this family, as
some in the crowd suppose, but that is not all they signify. Jesus
weeps also because of the destructive power of death that is still at
work in the world. Once again one sees the intersection of the intimate
and the cosmic: the pain of this family reminds Jesus of the pain of the
world.
7) Martha and Mary model how people are to live as they
struggle to free themselves from the power of death that defines and
limits them and move to embrace the new promises and possibilities of
life available through Jesus.
8) Lazarus' resurrection parallels that of Jesus himself:
a) a mourning Mary at the tomb (ll:3l and 20:ll); b) a cave tomb closed
with a stone (ll:38, 4l and 20:l); c) grave clothes plus a face cloth
(ll:44 and 20:6-7); d) a special role given to Thomas (ll:l6 and 20:28-
28).
9) Note again the listing of titles for Jesus: Lord, Son of
God, the Christ, who is coming into the world, teacher, rabbi, "I am the
resurrection and the life."
l0) Jesus has given (physical) life to Lazarus as a sign of his power to
give eternal life on this earth (realized eschatology, present time) and as a
promise that on the last day he will raise the dead (final eschatology, not yet,
future).
Development of homily:
Introduction to Mass: today's readings are a reminder that we all run
into dead ends (callejones sin salida) in our lives. In the first
reading we hear of the Jews dead end. They are in exile in Babylon away
from their homeland and have been so for many years. This captivity and
exile appears to be a dead end. In the second reading St. Paul speaks of the dead
end which is sin. And in the Gospel the ultimate dead end is death.
Homily: Introduction to Gospel. This Sunday the Gospel is again a kind
of drama or teatro. We have the different persons: narrator, Jesus,
disciples and Thomas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and the Jews. We have four
different stages on which the action takes place: the home of Martha,
Mary and Lazarus; the place where Jesus is when he receives the message
and where he stays for two days; the place near Bethany where Jesus
arrives and the sisters come out to meet him; and the tomb of Lazarus.
There is plenty of action or movement in the Gospel. Lots of arrivals and departures.
1) The Gospel writer John makes the point four times that Lazarus is
dead. He does this because the Jews had a belief that after a person
died their spirit hovered near for three days and then left. John wants
his readers including us to know that Lazarus was dead. (l) He states
that Jesus delays two days before going up to Judea. It was a day's
journey for the message about Lazarus to reach Jesus. He delayed for
two days, and then it took another day to reach Bethany (four days).
(2) In Jesus' dialogue with the disciples he first says that Lazarus is
sleeping and he is going to wake him. But when the disciples
misunderstand this to mean a natural sleep. Jesus says "clearly" he is
dead. (3) When Jesus arrives near Bethany the narrator tells us that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. (4) At the tomb Martha
says, "Lord it has been four days now, surely there will be a stench."
John wishes us to know that this is not a case of a coma or some kind of
resuscitation. This is a raising from the dead. A conquering of one of
our greatest enemies: death.
2) We follow Martha and Mary in this story. In some ways they are
similar to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke's Gospel when Jesus
comes to eat at their home. There the active one is Martha, busy about the preparations and she scolds Jesus. Mary is sitting at Jesus feet listening. In this story Martha is also the active one who goes out to meet Jesus. She leaves her culture of mourning in the house to go out to Jesus. She speaks with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and hope. Her first words to Jesus are, "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died." These later are the exact words that Mary will use. Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise again. She believes he will rise again in the Resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Jesus affirms this. "I am the Resurrection and the Life whoever
believes in me, even if they die, will live..." but then Jesus adds,
"whoever is alive and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" To the question, Martha has the right words, "I believe you are
the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world." But she
doesn't completely understand the power of life that Jesus has. Because
when Jesus orders the stone taken away, Martha reminds Jesus and us,
that he probably stinks because he has been dead for four days. So
Jesus has a surprise in store for Martha. He gives Lazarus life not
just after death in the resurrection of the last day, but restores him
to life now, in the present.
Martha's relationship with her sister seems to have gotten better
since the Lukan story. Here in John she does not scold her sister Mary
but simply goes and calls her saying, "The Teacher is here and is asking
for you." When Mary arrives at the place where Jesus is she fell at his
feet. She is in the same position as in the Lukan story.
3) We follow Jesus in this story also. What are some of the things
that Jesus does? We usually note first of all that he weeps. But he
also loves Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He calls out loudly to Lararus. He
raises Lazarus to death. But he also prays. But John also puzzles us
with some others things that Jesus does. He delays for two days before
coming to Bethany. He did this at Cana with his mother (chapter 2), with the royal official (chapter 4) and with his brothers (chapter 7). Sandra Schneider interprets the delay this way: "The purpose of these refusals and/or delays in Jesus' response is to emphasize the sovereign independence of Jesus' action in relation to human initiative."
When Jesus tells them that he is going to go up to Bethany. They
caution him that people have just been trying to stone him. Their
caution is not to go. But Jesus goes anyway. God also does some things in our lives that puzzle us. We do some things that puzzle others. We may even puzzle ourselves.
Jesus also "was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions." What does this signify?
Jesus is troubled in spirit at the death of a friend. Death can do that
to all of us, trouble us in spirit. But the Greek word here has the
meaning also of being angry. Jesus is angry before the reign of death,
the suffering caused to this family that he loves. He also seems to be
angry at the unbelief of the people. Some criticize him: "He opened
the eyes of that blind man. Why could he not have done something to
stop this man from dying."
4) Lastly what do the second parts of Jesus words to Martha mean for
us, "and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Jesus
promises us his life, eternal life while we are still on earth. We must realize and believe in his intimate real presence in and through his physical absence. "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (chapter 20:29) How do we receive the life of Jesus here on earth? When we exemplify Jesus' active non violent resistance. When we pray. When we do some good deed for another. When we try to get closer to Jesus. When we receive the sacraments. And on and on... And what is the promise of Jesus life for us now? Jesus has the power to conquer death. When the death of a friend or family members is before us we must recall the promise of eternal life. But Jesus has the power to conquer many different kinds of deaths. Suffering, sickness are types of death. Jesus has the power to overcome these deaths, one possibility is even through a healing. He can overcome death in the form of sin, captivity, addictions, exile, war, etc. Jesus can overcome various kinds of "dead ends." He can give us the help to discover a way out, to resolve problems, difficulties. Do you have problems with your children, with your parents, in a relationship with another person? Jesus has the power to give us hope when we have no hope. Jesus has the power over death which is the most powerful dead end. We must live with the life of Christ now to live with the eternal life of Christ forever.
During Lent we hear Jesus say, I am the Resurrection and the Life,
I am the light of the world, I am living water. In John's Gospel he
also tells us I am the Way the Truth and the Life. I am the Good
Shepherd, I am the vine and you are the branches. Let us live in this
life.
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