Theme: John 11:1-45 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

                                                            

From the desk of Ms. Kathleen Cook, Director of Religious Education
Theme: John 11:1-45 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
 
Summary: The action of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is yet another sign of God’s covenant promise of life. In all that Jesus does, we see the glory of God. In the raising of Lazarus, we have the most spectacular manifestation of God’s glory through Jesus Christ. This sign or miracle is the backdrop for the religious authorities seeking to bring about the death of Jesus. This is the ultimate catalyst that begins the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which is the seal and fulfillment of the covenant God has made in His love for humanity.

Scripture:  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. " John 11:25-26
 
There was a man named Lazarus who lived in Bethany with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. They knew Jesus and were his good friends. One day, Lazarus became sick. His sisters sent word to Jesus saying, "Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is very sick." But Jesus was in another town and didn't come right away.
When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Martha ran to meet Jesus and told him that Lazarus had been dead for four days. "If only you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus answered, "Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

So Martha went back and got her sister Mary and they took Jesus to show him the place where Lazarus was buried. When he arrived at the tomb, Jesus told them to roll away the stone that covered the entrance. He prayed to his Father and then he called in a loud voice, "Lazarus come out!" Do you know what happened? Even though he had been dead for four days, Lazarus walked out of the tomb! He wasn't dead -- he wasn't even sick!

Jesus loves you just as he loved Lazarus and he wants to be your friend. He'll pick you up when you are down. He'll be with you to the bitter end.

Dear Jesus, you said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Thank you for being our friend. Amen…. www.sermons4kids.com
 
Key Words in Today’s Readings: www.livingwithchrist.us
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14

                Ezekiel was one of the most important prophets in Israel. He lived during a time when many of the people of Jerusalem were taken prisoner and forced to live in exile in Babylon. The king and Ezekiel were taken away,               too. Ezekiel helped the people follow God’s ways even though they were far from home.

                The people of Israel lived in exile in Babylon and were very unhappy. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised to bring the people back to Israel. God said he would “open your graves” and bring new life to the dry, dead bones of the people of Israel.

                In the Bible, God is called the Lord because God is more powerful than all human power.

Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11
                The Spirit of the One, or the Holy Spirit, is the third person of the Holy Trinity. The Spirit of God is always present in our hearts and in the Church, helping us to live like brothers and sisters.

Gospel: John 11:1-5
                The Sisters of Lazarus were Martha and Mary, and all three were Jesus’ friends. They lived in Bethany, just a few miles from Jerusalem. When Jesus had visited them before, he had reminded the sisters that it was more important to listen to the word of God than to worry about daily chores.

                When Jesus says that Lazarus will rise again, he is speaking of the resurrection of the dead when Jesus comes again at the end of time.

My Promise to Jesus:  Thank you, Lord, for all the beauty you have created. I will try to notice and say thank you each day for nature. Each spring brings rebirth and fills the world with color.     https://us.magnificat.net/my-sunday-gospel-coloring-book-2020.html

Reflect: If a word or phrase from the Gospel captures your heart, sit quietly for several minutes, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life. What relationships or hopes seem dead in your life right now?   www.smp.org
 
Suggested book that compliments today’s Gospel:
http://scu.edu/character/build-plant-grow/
No! David
Written by David Shannon
ISBN: 13-978-0590930024

Pray that you will give thanks to God for striving to be faithful to the covenant of love made between you and God. Pray also that God will strengthen you to be one of the clearest images of God in the world.

Family Discussion:  Jesus’ promise of eternal life is a central element of our Catholic faith. Even though Easter is still two weeks away, our Gospel today invites us to acknowledge Jesus’ power over death, evidenced in the raising of Lazarus, and to anticipate Jesus’ conquering of death once and for all in his death and Resurrection. We sometimes use examples from nature to help describe this mystery of our faith. Jesus himself talked about the seed that dies when planted in the ground in order to produce new life (John 12:24). Using that image and others, we find hope and confidence in Jesus, the Resurrection and the life.

Gather your family today and read today’s Gospel in its shorter form, John 11:3-7,17,20-27,33b-45. Write Jesus’ promise from today’s Gospel (“I am the resurrection and the life.”) on a large sheet of white paper. As your family talks about what Jesus means by this promise, decorate Jesus’ words with symbols that will remind you of his promise of eternal life. Display this reminder of Jesus’ promise in a prominent place in your home and keep it there until Easter. Pray that you will always remain confident in Jesus’ promise of eternal life. Conclude by praying together the  Apostles’ Creed or the  Nicene Creed........ www.loyolapress.com