In one family, it is a Good Friday. A job has been lost, a career
derailed. A serious illness has been diagnosed. A once-loving
relationship has unraveled. But the other members of the family put
aside their own lives and come together at the foot of their loved one’s
cross. Their love moves whatever mountain necessary, changes the
course of whatever river is in their way. Together, Mom and Dad and
Sister and Brother, Step Parent, Single Parent, and Grandparent bear
one another’s crosses to bring hope, healing, forgiveness — and
resurrection — to every aspect of their life together as a family. The
love of our families can transform tragic and desperate Good Fridays
into Easter hope.
In this classroom, it is a Good Friday. The numbers and diagrams
in the algebra text are a maze to the student. She is lost and frustrated
and discouraged and wants to quit. A tired, overworked teacher just
wants to go home after a long week; but, seeing her student’s
frustration, she takes off her coat, puts down her pile of books and papers, and patiently walks through the problems with the befuddled
student. After a lot of hard work and patience, the “lights come on.” A
teacher’s selfless caring and generous gift of time transform this
student’s Good Friday into Easter light.
At corporate, it is Good Friday. A single mother has lost all of her
vacation and leave time to care for her seriously ill child. She is about
to lose her job – and the important medical benefits critical to her
family’s survival. Her co-workers devise a plan to pool some of their
vacation time and cover her responsibilities so that she can keep her job
and benefits while caring for her son. A Good Friday of desperation is
transformed into an Easter of possibility.
If we are honest, all of us sometimes find ourselves stuck in a
Good Friday world – our problems batter us, overwhelm us, strain our
ability to cope and make it all work. Our Alleluias are tempered by
reality; we approach this Easter Day with “Christ is risen, BUT…” But
in raising his son from the dead, God affirms the Good news of his
Christ: that good can conquer evil, that love can transform hatred, that light can shatter the darkness. We need to remember and remember it well, the story of Jesus whether told in the Bible or on a movie screen
does not end in the cold hopelessness of the cross but reaches ultimate
fulfillment in the Resurrection. Easter calls us to embrace the Risen
One’s compassion and openness of heart and spirit, enabling us to
transform the Good Fridays of our lives into Easter mornings.
This Easter morning I close with a challenge for all of us!
Some years ago, I was in Rome on Palm Sunday with the youth
from our Diocese for World Youth Day. We all had the opportunity to
hear Mother Theresa of Calcutta speak.
I remember well what she said:
“Death has not put a stop to the mission of Jesus. His mission is to
be carried on through us. Living witnesses of his presence.” The
challenge, to be Easter People — not just today, but everyday. People
whose lives not just their mouths (in church) radiate (not perfectly but
as best we can) the hope — the joy – the presence of Jesus risen and
alive – right here — right now.
Let us stand and re commit ourselves to Being Easter People everyday!
Archive for the ‘Cycle A’ Category
Easter People 4-12-2020
Sunday, April 12th, 2020The Raising of LazarusThe Raising of Lazarus 3-29-2020
Sunday, March 29th, 2020Let’s allow our imaginations to create a Hollywood version of the raising
of Lazarus.
Picture it: Lazarus comes out of his tomb-bound up, mummy-
like, wrapped tightly in burial garments.
See those tight wrappings around his body? Even as he comes
forth to Jesus, they restrict his sight, speech and freedom of
movement.
Listen carefully to the words of Jesus. “Untie him and let him
go free.”
I believe Lazarus coming out of the tomb represents every person!
What is it in our lives that binds us up? At times ties us up,
immobilizes us, limits our perception, and gets in the way of us
reaching out to others and to God ? Is it an attitude or possibly our own fears that restrict us? Maybe it
is a prejudice toward a particular group of people? Perhaps it is
something that worries us? Something we did in the past that we
are ashamed of? Could it be financial problems or a medical
concern? Is it a broken relationship in our family, a habit of lying,
trying to cover our tracks? Are we being squeezed to death by
bitterness, resentment, anger, grief, guilt or a poor self image?
Remember these words. “Untie him and her and let them go
free.”
As we reflect on what has us all wrapped up. What is preventing us from
moving freely and experiencing real life?
I think it is important to also ask ourselves: Are there situations or
relationships going on right now, where we are binding or tying up
other people? How would we do this? Does our sour, negative attitudes and biting criticism destroy the
spirit of those around us? Are we quick to see the bad, and blind to
the good and positive in the people close to us?
How about back stabbing rumors, parking lot gossip and unfair
stereotypes?
“Untie him and her and let them go free.”
During this Lent as we take some time to look inward, as we think about
what binds us and how to remove the tight wrappings. I think our Gospel
reminds us of 3 significant realities that need to be clearly stated.
As Martha mentioned, regarding her brother, it is going to be a
smelly procedure. Taking off these bindings will be a slow and
painful process. It will be very messy. No real conversion happens
without pain. We may be tempted to short circuit the process. We
may want to fantasize that everything will be fine in the morning.
But it will not go away by itself! Jesus tells others to help unbind Lazarus. We will need help also.
A good friend to listen and to challenge. A teacher, a minister, a
trained counselor and a support group. We are fooling ourselves if
we think we can do it alone!
The final point may be the most important. Right in the middle of
this smelly, messy process of unbinding that we are challenged to
enter into, we too, just like Lazarus, have the presence and
reassurance of Jesus. “I am with you!” “You are not alone, even
when it is the darkest.” “Don’t give up!” “Keep trying!”
“Untie him and her and let them go free.”
Lightning Strikes 3-22-2020
Sunday, March 22nd, 2020Years ago, a boy was collecting berries in the woods near his
Southern home. He was concentrating on filling his bucket – and mouth
–with the delicious fruit and not paying attention to how deep he was
going into the forest. The boy didn’t notice the dark clouds forming on
the horizon. Then he heard crashes of thunder. Suddenly he realized that
he was lost. Darkness enveloped the woods. The terrified youngster
started to run with no sense of where he was going.
Then he remembered what his parents had taught him: When you’re
lost, stop and be still, look around, and listen. So the boy stopped running
and stood still. And he observed the lightning strikes illuminating the
forest landscape. With each lightning flash he was able to see a bit farther
ahead and walk a little closer to his destination until he found his way
home, guided by the storm that had, at first, frightened him.
“Seeing” and “light” are key images of today’s Gospel for this
Sunday in mid-Lent. Jesus cures a man born blind – but the greater
miracle is opening the eyes of those around him to “see” the presence of
God in their midst. Terrified of the storm, the little boy remembers his parents’ wise advice: Stop and look. See the light and make your way
towards it. The Christ of Lent is that light that illuminates those times
and places in which we can realize the love of God in our midst. Like the
Jewish leaders and the temple officials, we sometimes become so
obsessed trying to find God where God is not that we fail to see God
where God actually is. We desperately want to know where God is when
tragedy befalls us; we live our lives taking comfort in the erroneous
notion that God is found only at certain times, in the rituals and pious
practices our religion specifies. The reality is that God is most
profoundly present in the simple, ordinary doings of life, in the kindness
and love of others, in life itself and the gifts of the earth to sustain that
life. May God grant us the vision that the blind man receives in today’s
Gospel: to see the love of God present in all things.
