The Gospel for this 5th Sunday in Lent is about Lazarus, his death and his resurrection. Death is a natural part of everyday life. Whenever I leave something behind, the old house I grew up in, my old job, a school building with those friends, there is a loss that brings to mind death itself. It is a letting go of something. That letting go is an embracement of something new. I left one job and went to a new one. With our struggle dealing with COVID-19 we have experienced a death of an old way of dealing with things. The routine of getting up at a certain time, getting on a busy freeway, going to a specific building, meeting with co-workers are all part of a routine that is now disrupted. Even when we go back to those things we will discover that things have changed. To help prevent us from falling into depression at these losses we can do some things to keep our spirits up. We can open the drapes at home. We can walk and sit outdoors. We can work in the yard and garden. We can call and talk to loved ones. We can eat, sleep, and keep to our regular routine as much as possible. What sustained Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, was knowing that Jesus was in their struggle. He was walking with them. He was going to bring them relief. We do not walk this lonely path alone. We walk it with Jesus and one another. Pray for your faith community. We will experience a change when we gather again. Let us not waste this opportunity God has given to us to arise from our own slumber and embracing a fuller life in Christ.
Fr. Mike