5th Sunday of Lent Year A Reflection.
LIVE IN CHRIST, DIE IN CHRIST, RESURRECT IN CHRIST.
OUTLINE
- Summary of ideas of the Sunday readings
- Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life.
- To believe in Christ is to live His Life, to live in Spirit and abandon the life and works of the flesh and of sin.
With the commemoration of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection fast approaching, today’s Sunday opening prayer reminds us that it was love that moved the Son to surrender to death for the salvation of the world.
“By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death.”
Opening prayer, 5th Sunday of Lent.
1. Summary of ideas of the Sunday readings
Having that said, God assures us in the 1st reading (Ezechiel 37:12–14), that we will participate in the Resurrection of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who will be given to us and with whom we will overcome death by resurrecting us so that we may participate in his Resurrection:
“O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them,…I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord (Ez 37: 12;14).”
2. Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life.
It is the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and who, if he lives in us by grace, will also give life to our bodies (Romans 8:8–11). Jesus Himself, upon carrying out the miracle of resurrecting his beloved friend Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, revealed to us in today’s Gospel (John 11:3–7, 17, 20–27, 33b–45) that:
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
3. To believe in Christ is to live His Life, to live in Spirit and abandon the life and works of the flesh and of sin.
Martha’s reply to Jesus’ question was:
“Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
And our reply would be the same.
Dear brethren in Christ, to believe in Christ requires coherence between our faith and our way of living. Faith in Jesus has vital repercussions.
- True Faith in Jesus leads us to listen, follow and carry out His Word and Teachings transmitted to us through His Church, for faith has moral and ecclesial repercussions.
- Faith in Christ involves allowing His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to work in our heart, soul and life: to live a life in Spirit.
- Living the life of the Spirit, however, requires that we struggle to abandon the life of the flesh, the life of sin, for “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God… Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
Let us then live in, for and with Christ, and die with Him as well for
“if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him (Rm 6:8-9).”
Let us also give death to the old carnal man within us, giving death to sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us in “other Christs,” for only then, living a life in Spirit, when the final judgment comes, shall we hear Christ calling us from our graves: “Come out!” And we shall have the same fate as that of Christ:
“If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you (Rm 8:11).”
FOR ANOTHER HOMILY REFLECTION FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A:
SEE AS WELL AV SUMMARY:
Stay updated: subscribe by email for free TO OUR NEW WEBSITE www.catholicsstrivingforholiness.org (PUT YOUR EMAIL IN THE SUBSCRIBE WIDGET).
We are also in www.fb.com/Catholicsstrivingforholiness. Kindly help more people in their Christian life by liking our page and inviting your family, friends and relatives to do so as well. Thanks in advance and God bless you and your loved ones! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo