Sunday Readings for March 21-22, Fifth Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Edward Looney | For On Mission
I spend a lot of time in cemeteries. I love walking through them, praying the Rosary, and looking at the graves. Sometimes I search for the graves of priests or people I knew. I always find a great sense of peace during those strolls. As I look at the graves, I wonder about the lives of the people who lived so long ago. I imagine what their lives were like, and sometimes I think about what their lives might have been if they had not succumbed to an early death.
The season of Lent that we observe each year prepares us for the most historic grave visit ever — Mary Magdalene going to the tomb of Jesus, only to discover that it was empty. The rest of the story we know well.
When I stand in a cemetery, I often think of the words of the prophet Ezekiel, who tells us that the Lord will open the graves of his people and raise them up. The prophecy of Ezekiel in the first reading pairs perfectly with the Gospel. Jesus goes to meet Martha and Mary after the illness and death of their brother Lazarus. Jesus is no longer visiting a sick friend but instead the tomb where Lazarus has been laid.
In my own search for graves, I often ask: Where is this person buried? With the help of an obituary or findagrave.com, I usually find my answer. Jesus asks a similar question: “Where have you laid him?” (Jn 11:34). Martha and Mary show him. And that is when the words of Ezekiel seem to come to life: “I will open your graves and have you rise from them” (Ez 37:12-14). Lazarus comes forth. He was dead and laid in the tomb, but now he lives. Jesus raised the dead.
As an interesting aside, TAN Books has published an incredible volume titled “Saints Who Raised the Dead.” What Jesus did in the Gospel, he granted in a similar way to many holy men and women throughout the history of the Church.
Jesus declares to Martha that he is “the resurrection and the life,” and he allows her to witness that truth. The raising of Lazarus helps us anticipate the greatest resurrection story of all — Easter Sunday. It prepares us during these Lenten days for the discovery of the empty tomb.
With each passing year, we experience the loss of family members and friends. It is the truth of Christ’s Resurrection and the promise found in Ezekiel’s prophecy that sustain us as we wait for the Lord to call us home.
The grave of Lazarus would be empty for a time, but eventually he would be laid in it again until the Final Resurrection. The tomb of Jesus, which originally belonged to another man, has remained empty ever since, reminding us of Christ’s power over death.
Passing a cemetery while driving or stopping to visit the grave of a loved one reminds us of what we profess in the Nicene Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead.” There will come a day when the words of Ezekiel will be fulfilled for all the dead. Their graves will be opened, and they will come forth.
Until that day, we wait with faith and hope in the Resurrection.
The readings for Sunday, March 22, can be found at Fifth Sunday of Lent | USCCB.
Fr. Edward Looney serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawano. He is an author and podcaster, with a presence on various social media platforms under the handle @FrEdwardLooney.