Daily Readings - Sun Mar 29 2020

¹²Because of this, prophesy, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your tombs, and I will lead you away from your sepulchers, O my people. And I will lead you into the land of Israel¹³And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have opened your sepulchers, and when I will have led you away from your tombs, O my people¹⁴And I will place my Spirit within you, and you shall live. And I will cause you to rest upon your own soil. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and acted, says the Lord God.

Romans

Chapter 8

⁸So those who are in the flesh are not able to please God⁹And you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if it is true that the Spirit of God lives within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him¹⁰But if Christ is within you, then the body is indeed dead, concerning sin, but the spirit truly lives, because of justification¹¹But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you

John

Chapter 11

³Therefore, his sisters sent to him, saying: "Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.⁴Then, upon hearing this, Jesus said to them: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.⁵Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus⁶Even so, after he heard that he was sick, he then still remained in the same place for two days⁷Then, after these things, he said to his disciples, "Let us go into Judea again.¹⁷And so Jesus went. And he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days²⁰Therefore, Martha, when she heard that Jesus was arriving, went out to meet him. But Mary was sitting at home²¹And then Martha said to Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died²²But even now, I know that whatever you will request from God, God will give to you.²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again.²⁴Martha said to him, "I know that he shall rise again, at the resurrection on the last day.²⁵Jesus said to her: "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he has died, he shall live²⁶And everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die for eternity. Do you believe this?²⁷She said to him: "Certainly, Lord. I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who has come into this world.³³And then, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had arrived with her weeping, he groaned in spirit and became troubled³⁴And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see.³⁵And Jesus wept³⁶Therefore, the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!³⁷But some of them said, "Would not he who opened the eyes of one born blind have been able to cause this man not to die?³⁸Therefore, Jesus, again groaning from within himself, went to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone had been placed over it³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who had died, said to him, "Lord, by now it will smell, for this is the fourth day.⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you shall see the glory of God?⁴¹Therefore, they took away the stone. Then, lifting up his eyes, Jesus said: "Father, I give thanks to you because you have heard me⁴²And I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the people who are standing nearby, so that they may believe that you have sent me.⁴³When he had said these things, he cried in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out.⁴⁴And immediately, he who had been dead went forth, bound at the feet and hands with winding bands. And his face was bound with a separate cloth. Jesus said to them, "Release him and let him go.⁴⁵Therefore, many of the Jews, who had come to Mary and Martha, and who had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the power of God’s Spirit and the promise of new life, even in the face of death and despair. In the first reading, Ezekiel prophesies to a people in exile, feeling lifeless and hopeless, like dry bones scattered in a valley. God tells Ezekiel to speak His word, promising to breathe life into these bones and restore His people to their homeland. This passage is a powerful metaphor for spiritual renewal, reminding us that even when we feel lifeless or stuck, God’s Spirit can bring us back to life. The second reading from Romans deepens this theme by contrasting life in the flesh with life in the Spirit. Paul explains that those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but those who have the Spirit of Christ are alive in Him. This reading emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, who not only justifies us but also enlivens our mortal bodies. It reminds us that our true life comes from the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead and dwells within us. The Gospel takes us to the story of Lazarus, where Jesus demonstrates His power over death and reveals Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. Martha’s declaration of faith, “I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” stands out as a moment of profound trust in the face of grief. Jesus’ response, “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” is a promise to all of us. He shows us that death is not the end but a transition to eternal life for those who believe in Him. These readings connect beautifully, showing how God’s Spirit brings life to what is dead. Ezekiel’s dry bones, Paul’s emphasis on the Spirit, and Jesus’ raising of Lazarus all point to the same truth: God is the source of all life, and He desires to breathe new life into us. In our daily lives, we often face moments of spiritual dryness or feel overwhelmed by the challenges of the world. But today’s readings remind us to trust in God’s power to renew us. Let us turn to Him with faith, just as Martha did, and ask for the grace to believe in His promises. May we allow the Spirit of God to enliven our hearts and minds, so that we may live as children of the Resurrection, even in the midst of this world’s trials.