Gospel
John 11: 1-45
1 Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and Martha her sister. 2 (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 His sisters therefore sent to him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 And Jesus hearing it, said to them: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God: that the Son of God may be glorified by it. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he still remained in the same place two days. 7 Then after that, he said to his disciples: Let us go into Judea again. 8 The disciples say to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone thee: and goest thou thither again? 9 Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world: 10 But if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.
11 These things he said; and after that he said to them: Lazarus our friend sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 His disciples therefore said: Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 But Jesus spoke of his death; and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep. 14 Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly: Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there, that you may believe: but let us go to him.
16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him. 17 Jesus therefore came, and found that he had been four days already in the grave. 18 (Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.) 19 And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus had come, went to meet him: but Mary sat at home.
21 Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:
26 And every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? 27 She saith to him: Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who art come into this world. 28 And when she had said these things, she went, and called her sister Mary secretly, saying: The master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 She, as soon as she heard this, riseth quickly, and cometh to him. 30 For Jesus was not yet come into the town: but he was still in that place where Martha had met him.
31 The Jews therefore, who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she rose up speedily and went out, followed her, saying: She goeth to the grave to weep there. 32 When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet, and saith to him: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, 34 And said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see. 35 And Jesus wept.
36 The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him. 37 But some of them said: Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind, have caused that this man should not die? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a cave; and a stone was laid over it. 39 Jesus saith: Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days. 40 Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?
41 They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting up his eyes said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. 44 And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bands; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him, and let him go. 45 Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.
Being a gardener and having grown up on a farm, I always consider passages like we have today in the context of Our Lord's teaching about how the grain must be buried and die before it can rise in new life. The seed in such readings is new life through Jesus Christ, but is also applicable to charity and the work of the Christian. We are called to care for the poor and to share the Gospel. To do so, we must die to self, somewhat. Human nature is to horde our goods for ourselves and our families. To share with others is to sacrifice, especially if our resources are limited. To share our faith is often also difficult. It can be very uncomfortable to speak of such things and to share honestly with others. Some will receive the message and others will reject us. Some will even hate and persecute us.
There is an old saying that the farmer ministers to man’s stomach just as the priest ministers to his soul. Each is necessary. Without the farmer, few would have food to eat, nor could the bread and wine be provided for the Eucharist. Without the priest we have no sacraments and, as Jesus said, no life in us. God, knowing our needs, provides for both the physical and the spiritual. He promises that if we follow His commands, He will provide abundantly.
Most of us are neither farmers nor priests. But, we have our own vocations. We are each called to use our lives and our work in the service of the Lord. In our family lives, our work, our friendships and in our parish, we have abundant opportunity to serve. Sometimes our service may be simply a kind word, holding a door open, a smile or listening with genuine interest. When God blesses us financially, our duty is to give monetarily. When He does not, He does not ask that we place ourselves in financial hardship.
Many Protestant ministers urge their congregations to “give out of your need” to receive more blessings. Sometimes God does bless such a person for their willing sacrifice and hardship. But, as a priest explained to me once, this is not always good advice. A married man has a responsibility to provide for his wife a children first, as must a single mother. An unmarried man or woman may have financial responsibility for an elderly parent. In terms of modern finances, he explained, that one’s first duty is to pay his bills because the money he owes is not his to tithe. We are not called to “rob Peter to pay Paul.” After the bills are paid and one’s basic needs are met (food, heat, fuel, clothing, medical, etc), and even a bit saved for the future as Ecclesiastes teaches, then we may tithe out of our abundance. God promises to provide our “daily bread” and wants to give us abundance beyond our needs. The more we use our abundance for His service, the more He will give us… if that is best.
Those who fully dedicate themselves to God, especially priests and religious, cannot expect a life of abundance and ease. Specifically, some take vows of poverty. But the laity must also expect to suffer. Jesus did not promise an easy life for the Christian - quite the opposite! Even when He enables us to earn a comfortable living, those He loves he will allow to suffer in this life so as to attain abundant joy in the next life. Often times, living with modest means may be a blessing for a man who would be tempted to misuse his money if he had a surplus. Physical or social limitations may be a blessing for one who might misuse his body. Alienation, ridicule and unfair treatment may be a blessing for one who might tend to pride. But, of course, most of our painful circumstances are not God’s direct doing, but are brought about either by our own actions or those of others. These two, we must suffer patiently and prayerfully.
Truly, God has countless ways of humbling us. None of them are pleasant. But, we have two options, rail at God with resentment, hurt and anger, or accept that He works all things together for our good and will provide for the needs of those who rely on Him. The first option will accomplish nothing good. The second promises eternal reward. The grain or seed of wheat must be buried and its outer shell break down as water enters it to germinate. If the seed never “dies” in this way it can produce no new life. Our Lord suffered and was buried so that He could rise again and give us new life. If we are to have that life abundantly, we must be willing to die to this world, to self, to ego…. “not my will but thine.”
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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.
This is so timely in my life. Thank you for your beautiful work. You are planting seeds....❤️