Homily: 5th Sunday of Lent - The Raising of Lazarus



Fresco by Giotto located at the Church of St. Francis in Assisi

On this 5^th Sunday of Lent we celebrate the Third Scrutiny as we pray over our Elect who will be baptized in two weeks at the Easter Vigil.  The readings from Cycle A are used for this occasion and so this weekend we are treated to the only account of the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, as recorded by John.

This Sunday I was blessed to have been asked to be a guest homilist at my high school alma mater, Oratory Prep in Summit N.J. for their annual Family Mass.  It was a beautiful liturgy to see so many families come together as a community of faith.  This sense of ‘community’ or what we call ‘church’ tied right into my insight into this popular Gospel story.  But it is a meaning that is often overlooked by all the attention given to the miracle.

What was Christ really up to? 

Check it out!

For the Sunday Readings click: here

For the Homily click: here