Live in Hope

Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 29, 2020
Sr Phyllis Jaszkowiak

In today’s Gospel of the raising of Lazarus, both Martha and Mary greet Jesus with, “If you had been here my brother would not have died.”  So where was Jesus who let Lazarus die?  Waiting, waiting for the right time to act.  A hard waiting for those who lose a loved one.

Jesus waited two days before he came to Martha and Mary.  He followed God’s prompting of when to go and what to do.  It took a while for Martha and Mary to realize more was to come.  They really had not hoped for new life for Lazarus.  He was dead after all.  They were glad Jesus finally came, for he could console them, even if it was too late to save Lazarus’ life.
 
And then the impossible happened.  People rolled away the stone!  Then Jesus called forth Lazarus who came out!.  What a surprise, what a miracle, what a way of taking away despair and sorrow.
 
Martha is the first to believe that more is to come.  She is the first one in John’s Gospel to recognize that Jesus is the Christ, “the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”  She comes to belief in Jesus and is buoyed up in her hope that death is not the end.
 
This time in our world of the Coronavirus, when we physically distance ourselves from each other, it is a time to enkindle our own hope, hope that there is more to come, even if we cannot see it.
 
We may have to wait awhile before the new comes forth.  Martha and Mary waited and then believed and saw the newness blossom forth in new life.  Life they never expected.
 
Our faith tells us God is here, working with what is, working with us, to bring about something new.  We just need the faith to believe God is really among us, and the eyes to see what God might be doing.  What newness will God bring to our world?
 
What is our hope; perhaps that this virus could be the conduit for something new;  perhaps a greater sense of our oneness with all other people worldwide; perhaps a greater sense that we need to care more for our earth so we can care more for each other; perhaps just a knowing we are not in control?
 
So let us continue to expect Jesus soon, and through us, bring new life to our world.  Let us live in that hope.