From death to life…

From death to life…

The story of the resurrection of Lazarus has always been considered a proto-type of our spiritual conversion. His physical death is typical of our spiritual death.

Just as Christ liberates Lazarus from death, He comes to our dead and dying world, now facing a pandemic, to regenerate us by conversion. He comes to liberate us from the encumbrances of spiritual grave clothes: selfishness, self-righteousness, indifference and unwillingness to love and forgive. Christ comes to our lives to inspire and guide us in our journey back to our heavenly Father. He comes to redeem us from the clutches of the sin and death. The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead represents the power of Christ’s own resurrection and its saving efficacy to liberate us from sin and death, which is a consequence of sin.

During this last part of the Lenten season, let us reflect on our life that has been influenced by the power of evil. Let us examine our old bad habits and addictions that control our freedom and dignity as God’s children. Let us stare the darkness over our horizon because we have chosen to veer away from Christ’s light. Let us feel the weakness that results from our unwillingness to exercise the works or love and mercy. As we reflect on the Christ’s life of love and forgiveness, let us express sorrow for our own unwillingness to forgive one another from our hearts. Let us appreciate how Christ, dying on the cross, expressed forgiveness to those who brought him to His painful suffering and death. Let us learn that forgiveness is a free gift of participation in God’s divine love and mercy. Let us re-learn to be more open to the healing sacraments of the Church. Let us become wounded healers.

Amidst the current pandemic, may our Lenten observance help us to come forth from our spiritual grave to the overflowing grace of God’s liberating love and mercy.