Opening to His Love

Dear Friend,

Early one morning in the kitchen I was alone with another friar. I knew that something had been weighing on him the night before, so I asked him, “Were you able to get some sleep last night?” “No,” he said, “but I did get some good prayer time with the Lord.” We both smiled. Later, I found myself pondering our encounter. I’d received a testimony if it’s not too much to call it that. (I too had trouble sleeping that night before!)

In the Gospel for this fifth Sunday in Lent Jesus shows up in Bethany – the town name means “house of affliction.” Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus reside there, and presumably Jesus knew it well. It is now a place crowded with affliction and grief: Lazarus has died three days before. Sleepless nights, troubled nights, would be part of the picture. 

Note: this story is not about strangers that Jesus meets along the way in the manner of many of his other healings. This is not the home of a Pharisee he is attempting to teach or persuade. It is rather a place where his love has already been shown to be real. “See how he loved him,” observe some bystanders as they watch Jesus himself weeping.  

Certainly, like the first reading, from Ezekiel, this story points us to Easter and to Resurrection. At the same time, it vividly depicts God’s desire, fully manifest in Jesus Christ, for each one of us to experience the divine presence at the most disturbing moments of our lives. Each Sunday our Mission church houses hope as well as affliction and great need. Our liturgy is our testimony to God’s loving desire to be with us, our repeated “Let us pray,” our repeated opening to His love.  

Gratefully,

Father Dan ofm