A Penitent Blogger
COME FORTH!!
Today’s Gospel (Jn. 11:1-45), concerning the raising of Lazarus, is long and familiar yet filled with many gems (as the last few Sunday Gospels have been).
"This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God
may be glorified through it...."
“I am the Resurrection and the Life….”
And Jesus wept....
With so many gems to choose from, I am compelled to reflect on just one image:
A rotting corpse in a cave
The image, that of Lazarus in the tomb, repels us -- most of us would not even want to think about anything like that.
But that image is us.
For most, if not all of us, that rotting corpse in a cave is a talent, a gift, or some ability which we have within us and which we are not putting to good use, let alone for the good of others and for the glory of God.
We have let it stagnate and rot, far from the light of day.
And when he thus had spoken,
Jesus cried with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come forth!”
As we draw near the end of this season of Lent, a very reflective time for many of us, we hear the voice of Christ loud and clear:
“Come forth!”
As we approach the great memorials of our Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection, it is time for us to consider how we must respond to the voice of the Lord.
“Come forth!”
What talent or gift have we received from God that we have not been putting to good use? What excuses have we piled up – like stones at the entrance of a cave? What can we do? What do we know in our hearts we must do?
“Come forth!”
Perhaps it isn’t just one talent or gift; perhaps we ourselves feel like a rotting corpse in a cave: suffocating… deteriorating… sinking into endless darkness.
“Come forth!”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls us forth… into the light, into the world, to do the will of God, to make manifest his love and his truth.
We make excuses, but our Lord responds:
“Take away the stone!”
We protest: it’s been too long… there’ll be a big stink…
"Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God…?"
“Come forth!”
"This illness is not to end in death,
but is for the glory of God,
that the Son of God
may be glorified through it...."
“I am the Resurrection and the Life….”
And Jesus wept....
With so many gems to choose from, I am compelled to reflect on just one image:
A rotting corpse in a cave
The image, that of Lazarus in the tomb, repels us -- most of us would not even want to think about anything like that.
But that image is us.
For most, if not all of us, that rotting corpse in a cave is a talent, a gift, or some ability which we have within us and which we are not putting to good use, let alone for the good of others and for the glory of God.
We have let it stagnate and rot, far from the light of day.
And when he thus had spoken,
Jesus cried with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come forth!”
As we draw near the end of this season of Lent, a very reflective time for many of us, we hear the voice of Christ loud and clear:
“Come forth!”
As we approach the great memorials of our Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection, it is time for us to consider how we must respond to the voice of the Lord.
“Come forth!”
What talent or gift have we received from God that we have not been putting to good use? What excuses have we piled up – like stones at the entrance of a cave? What can we do? What do we know in our hearts we must do?
“Come forth!”
Perhaps it isn’t just one talent or gift; perhaps we ourselves feel like a rotting corpse in a cave: suffocating… deteriorating… sinking into endless darkness.
“Come forth!”
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls us forth… into the light, into the world, to do the will of God, to make manifest his love and his truth.
We make excuses, but our Lord responds:
“Take away the stone!”
We protest: it’s been too long… there’ll be a big stink…
"Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God…?"
“Come forth!”
posted by Penitens | 7:12 AM
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