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Welcome to our fifth week 

March 24

“See how much he loved him!” John’s account of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead is meant to also remind us that Jesus loves all of us and can bring us ‘back to new life’ in him. We, in turn, can bring others ‘back to new life’ through our love and concern for those in need of our help.

Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, but he leaves a vitally important part to the community of family and friends. What he said to the community then, is meant also for us today. We are to ‘unbind’ them; we are to set them free. We are to work for justice and peace and love and compassion. Our love and our compassionate care can bring hope, joy, and courage, and awaken potential.

Responsorial Psalm

 Ps 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7b-8

Response: With the Lord there is steadfast Love and great power to redeem.

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

R. With the Lord there is steadfast Love and great power to redeem.

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

R. With the Lord there is steadfast Love and great power to redeem.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

R. With the Lord there is steadfast Love and great power to redeem.

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.

8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

R. With the Lord there is steadfast Love and great power to redeem.

Gospel

Gospel John 11:1-45

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.


Offering Prayer

As we come to the end of our Lenten journey, let us reflect on the love that Jesus had for Lazarus, and the love he has for all of us, as we pray:

prayer
Lord Jesus, we know the love you had for Lazarus, and the love that you have for us. We offer this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to you. We pray that, through our Lenten offerings, we may have the courage to proclaim the gospel, and to bring others ‘back to new life’ in you. May our love and compassion ‘unbind’ those caught in the dehumanizing grip of poverty and injustice.

 

Fasting FAQ

 Why fasting?

Our Catholic faith has always treasured fasting as a means of making an offering to God. Our Hebrew fathers in faith made frequent fasts, as did our early Christian Church. Jesus made fasts, and instructed His disciples how to fast well, too. 

We fast by denying ourselves an earthly enjoyment for the sake of remembering, honouring and glorifying the new earth that Christ has won for us. We recall that Christ used His free will to die on the cross to save us from our sins. In turn, we can use our free will to cause ourselves a little discomfort as an act of gratitude and recollection.

Our Tradition holds that there are many benefits to offering fasts. In his “Introduction to the Devout Life”, St. Francis de Sales writes:

“...besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast." 

 What if I can’t fast from food?

We often associate fasting with food restrictions, such as bread-and-water or water-only fasting. These are wonderful, but fasting does not have to have anything to do with food or eating to be just as sacred That’s why we called it ‘Fast as You Can.’ We encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to inspire you with an offering that is safe, holy, and meaningful for you.

 As it says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (emphasis added):

The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others...[They] cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins." (CCC 1434) 

The Catechism further suggests, “spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works)...reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father. In sum, “every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.” (CCC 1437-38)

For a great ‘run-down’ on penitential acts and suggested alternatives, we highly recommend Keeping Friday by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops https://www.cccb.ca/document/keeping-friday/

 What if I break the fast accidentally?

Let yourself have a little chuckle, and tell Jesus you love Him. That’s really the heart of any of this. Then you can prayerfully re-commit to your fast. 

 What if I keep breaking the fast?

When we get excited about making a sacrifice for Jesus, sometimes we go a little overboard. Maybe your enthusiasm made your fasting goal a little too ambitious. That’s very natural! Prayerfully consider modifying your fast next week.

 Can I choose another time aside from Friday-Saturday?

We are suggesting Friday night until the Sunday Mass (including the Saturday vigil) for its symbolic significance. Our Jewish brothers and sisters share a Shabbat meal on Fridays, as Jesus and the Holy Family would have. The Eucharist, being the Bread of Life, is the perfect way to break the fast from earthly ‘bread.’ 

However, if ‘Fast as You Can’ means another day of the week for you, then your offering will be no less cherished by God.

 

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About Chalice

Chalice is a Canadian, Catholic child sponsorship organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable children in developing countries to complete their education. Currently, Chalice operates sites in Bolivia, Chile, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Tanzania, Ukraine, and Zambia.

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