Restoring Life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate our experience of Jesus’ support for our grief and our vision of faith in new life.

Restoration of Life

The Reading from the Prophet Ezekiel presents the Vision of the Dry Bones.

* [37:1–14] This account is a figurative description of God’s creation of a new Israel. Even though that creation begins with the remains of the old Israel, the exiles under the image of dry bones, depicting a totally hopeless situation, the new Israel is radically different: it is an ideal people, shaped by God’s spirit to live the covenant faithfully, something the old Israel, exiles included, were unable to do. While this passage in its present context is not about the doctrine of individual or communal resurrection, many Jewish and Christian commentators suggest that the doctrine is foreshadowed here. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 37 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 130 is the De profundis used in liturgical prayers for the faithful departed.

* [Psalm 130] This lament, a Penitential Psalm, is the De profundis used in liturgical prayers for the faithful departed. In deep sorrow the psalmist cries to God (Ps 130:1–2), asking for mercy (Ps 130:3–4). The psalmist’s trust (Ps 130:5–6) becomes a model for the people (Ps 130:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 130 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans contrasts the Flesh and the Spirit.

* [8:1–13] After his warning in Rom 7 against the wrong route to fulfillment of the objective of holiness expressed in Rom 6:22, Paul points his addressees to the correct way. Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. Holiness was impossible so long as the flesh (or our “old self”), that is, self-interested hostility toward God (Rom 8:7), frustrated the divine objectives expressed in the law. What is worse, sin used the law to break forth into all manner of lawlessness (Rom 8:8). All this is now changed. At the cross God broke the power of sin and pronounced sentence on it (Rom 8:3). Christians still retain the flesh, but it is alien to their new being, which is life in the spirit, namely the new self, governed by the holy Spirit. Under the direction of the holy Spirit Christians are able to fulfill the divine will that formerly found expression in the law (Rom 8:4). The same Spirit who enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day (Rom 8:11). Christian life is therefore the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through life of the spirit (Rom 8:13). (Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus Raising of Lazarus.

* [11:1–44] The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not.

* [11:4] Not to end in death: this is misunderstood by the disciples as referring to physical death, but it is meant as spiritual death.

* [11:10] The light is not in him: the ancients apparently did not grasp clearly the entry of light through the eye; they seem to have thought of it as being in the eye; cf. Lk 11:34; Mt 6:23.

* [11:16] Called Didymus: Didymus is the Greek word for twin. Thomas is derived from the Aramaic word for twin; in an ancient Syriac version and in the Gospel of Thomas (80:11–12) his given name, Judas, is supplied.

* [11:18] About two miles: literally, “about fifteen stades”; a stade was 607 feet.

* [11:27] The titles here are a summary of titles given to Jesus earlier in the gospel.

* [11:33] Became perturbed: a startling phrase in Greek, literally, “He snorted in spirit,” perhaps in anger at the presence of evil (death).

* [11:41] Father: in Aramaic, “abba”. See note on Mk 14:36.

* [11:43] Cried out in a loud voice: a dramatization of Jn 5:28; “the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.” (John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Gladyce Janky shares the recent passing of a long-time close friend and a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of Martha and Mary.

When Martha meets Jesus, she affirms her faith despite being tested by grief. He does not dismiss her pain, but joins her, demonstrating that faith and sorrow do coexist. His actions reveal his unwavering compassion for all human suffering. His response, I am the resurrection and the life, challenges Martha and me to look beyond physical death to the hope of eternal life with God. It is comforting and demanding, calling me to live in the tension of life and death, joy and suffering. A stance that embraces life in all of its fullness.

The resurrection is not just a future hope; it is standing before Martha in the person of Jesus. Calling Lazarus to come out of the tomb demonstrates his authority over death. As Lazarus comes out of the tomb, covered in bandages, Jesus’ command to unbind him and let him go is a powerful symbol of the unbinding of humanity from fear. He is the One who enters the places of suffering, breaking the bandages of slavery and creating life. (Janky, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes Cross and Resurrection, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Jesus' cross is an example of painful toil. His resurrection is the reward of painful toil. In the cross He showed us how we are to bear suffering. In His resurrection He showed us what we are to hope for." (excerpt from On the Creed 3,9) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Ezekiel speaks about the afterlife with the image of bones strewn over the ground indicating that resurrection of the dead is meant to be of the people who have died. The Zoroastrian burial practice reflects a similar to Christian understanding of the fate of the dead. Paul contrasts the spirit and the flesh or the contrast between concupiscence and living in the Spirit The reanimation of Lazarus is the third Gospel from John this Lent. Jesus stays rather than rushing and He describes Lazarus as asleep but he has been dead for four days and understood to be irresistibly dead by Jewish tradition. Both Mary and Martha declare If Jesus could have been there he would not have died. Disappointment and faith often go together in our life challenges when we need help. Jesus proclaims “I am the resurrection and the life” as an example of realized eschatology in the Gospel of John. Jesus' anger is possibly at death which has robbed Him of a friend.  Remove the stone to reveal both love and life is symbolic of the situation in our lives. The prayer to the Father is to indicate His mission to do the will of the Father. Jesus' command to  “Untie Him” resonates with how Jesus unbinds us in life from what holds us in death. Friar Jude explains that Lazarus is re-animinated as opposed to resurrected because one day he will die again.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:1-45 comments that today’s Gospel shows us that when the Lord’s ways are confusing, he always has us on his heart and mind. He hears our prayers and has a plan for our lives even when we can’t envision it.

Martha came to believe that Jesus had the power to raise the dead and that his plans were higher than hers. Even though he hadn’t healed her brother, she still trusted him. So when you are in a place of waiting or disappointment, you can bring your pain to Jesus. You can allow him to reassure you that he is your loving Savior. He will strengthen your faith and hope. He will help you see his goodness in this life and, even more, in the life to come.

Always remember that Jesus hears your prayers. He will never, ever forsake you.

“Lord, I put my trust in you!” (Meditation on John 11:1-45, n.d.)

CAC faculty member Brian McLaren offers a brief history of the Babylonian exile, a defining crisis in the biblical story. About 800 BCE the Israelites and Judeans had already survived so much. In addition to all the trouble within their respective borders—much of it caused by corrupt leaders—even bigger trouble was brewing outside. In 722 BCE, the Assyrians invaded and deported many of the Israelites into Assyria. Finally, around 587 BCE, Judah was conquered by the Babylonians. Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed. The nation’s “brightest and best” were deported as exiles to the Babylonian capital. 

How should they interpret their plight? Some feared that God had failed or abandoned them. Others blamed themselves for displeasing God in some way. Those who felt abandoned by God expressed their devastation in heart-rending poetry. Those who felt they had displeased God tried to identify their offenses, assign blame, and call for repentance. It was during this devastating period of exile and return that much of the oral tradition known to Christians as the Old Testament was either written down for the first time, or reedited and compiled. No wonder, arising in such times of turmoil and tumult, the Bible is such a dynamic collection! [1]

Psalm 42 expresses the pain of exile:

I say to God, my rock,

    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I walk about mournfully

    because the enemy oppresses me?”

As with a deadly wound in my body,

    my adversaries taunt me,

while they say to me continually,

    “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

    and why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,

    my help and my God. (Psalm 42:10–11) (McLaren, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to inform our reflection on the co-existence of disappointment and faith in our life journey as blessed siblings of Jesus.

References

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 37 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/37?12 

Janky, G. (2026, March 22). Daily Reflection March 22, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-22-2026 

John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/11?1 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A People in Exile. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-people-in-exile/ 

Meditation on John 11:1-45. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/22/1522747/ 

Psalms, PSALM 130 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/130?1 

Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?8 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 22, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Life and Law

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be agents of life and love as we reaffirm our relationship with God and the vertical and horizontal aspects of the Love he calls us to embrace.

Law and Love

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel is the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones.

* [37:1–14] This account is a figurative description of God’s creation of a new Israel. Even though that creation begins with the remains of the old Israel, the exiles under the image of dry bones, depicting a totally hopeless situation, the new Israel is radically different: it is an ideal people, shaped by God’s spirit to live the covenant faithfully, something the old Israel, exiles included, were unable to do. While this passage in its present context is not about the doctrine of individual or communal resurrection, many Jewish and Christian commentators suggest that the doctrine is foreshadowed here.

* [37:9] The Hebrew word rûah has multiple related meanings expressed by different English words: wind, spirit, breath. In this translation, rûah is rendered “spirit,” a powerful force that creates vision and insight (v. 1); “breath,” physical energy that quickens and enlivens (vv. 5–6); “wind,” invisible physical energy, sometimes destructive, sometimes invigorating (e.g., the rain-bearing winter winds), also a metaphor for restoration and new life (vv. 9–10); “my spirit,” a share in God’s power so the people observe the law that assures them life in the land (v. 14). (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 37 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles.

* [Psalm 107] A hymn inviting those who have been rescued by God to give praise (Ps 107:1–3). Four archetypal divine rescues are described, each ending in thanksgiving: from the sterile desert (Ps 107:4–9), from imprisonment in gloom (Ps 107:10–16), from mortal illness (Ps 107:17–22), and from the angry sea (Ps 107:23–32). The number four connotes totality, all the possible varieties of rescue. The same saving activity of God is shown in Israel’s history (Ps 107:33–41); whenever the people were endangered God rescued them. The last verses invite people to ponder the persistent saving acts of God (Ps 107:42–43). (Psalms, PSALM 107 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims the Greatest Commandment.

* [22:34–40] The Marcan parallel (Mk 12:28–34) is an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way in which Jesus has conducted himself in the previous controversy (Mk 12:28), who compliments him for the answer he gives him (Mk 12:32), and who is said by Jesus to be “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mk 12:34). Matthew has sharpened that scene. The questioner, as the representative of other Pharisees, tests Jesus by his question (Mt 22:34–35), and both his reaction to Jesus’ reply and Jesus’ commendation of him are lacking.

* [22:35] [A scholar of the law]: meaning “scribe.” Although this reading is supported by the vast majority of textual witnesses, it is the only time that the Greek word so translated occurs in Matthew. It is relatively frequent in Luke, and there is reason to think that it may have been added here by a copyist since it occurs in the Lucan parallel (Lk 10:25–28). Tested: see note on Mt 19:3.

* [22:36] For the devout Jew all the commandments were to be kept with equal care, but there is evidence of preoccupation in Jewish sources with the question put to Jesus.

* [22:37–38] Cf. Dt 6:5. Matthew omits the first part of Mark’s fuller quotation (Mk 12:29; Dt 6:4–5), probably because he considered its monotheistic emphasis needless for his church. The love of God must engage the total person (heart, soul, mind).

* [22:39] Jesus goes beyond the extent of the question put to him and joins to the greatest and the first commandment a second, that of love of neighbor, Lv 19:18; see note on Mt 19:18–19. This combination of the two commandments may already have been made in Judaism.

* [22:40] The double commandment is the source from which the whole law and the prophets are derived. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard asks what could be so difficult about loving God? She shares the journey of a friend through love and loss.

Have there been days that it has been hard to love the Lord—I would say yes, my friend would say “No way, we must trust in His plan.”  She is such a notable example for me and so many others.

Now what about the second commandment, loving our neighbor as ourselves? To me this is the tough one. Even though God sent his son to show us how this is done, our humanity gets in the way. (Maynard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Loving God with heart, mind, and soul,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"Worthy is he, confirmed in all his gifts, who exults in the wisdom of God, having a heart full of the love of God, and a soul completely enlightened by the lamp of knowledge and a mind filled with the word of God. It follows then that all such gifts truly come from God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets are in some way a part of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He would understand that all the law and the prophets depend upon and adhere to the principle of the love of the Lord God and of neighbor and that the perfection of piety consists in love." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ezekiel 37:1-14 comments that God has brought us to new life. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, and the Spirit can renew and restore us. We just have to keep asking him for living water! In fact, we can ask for an outpouring of the Spirit every morning in prayer, even before we face the possibility that something or someone will drain us. Then, when we face challenges, we can draw on the reservoir of his grace and receive renewed hope and determination.

You have been filled with God’s life. That means that you can be a source of life and hope to those around you—especially to those who don’t know Christ. That has been God’s plan all along—that as we come alive in Christ, we reveal him to others and invite them into his kingdom. God infused the “dry bones” of the Israelites with new life and brought them home. So, too, God wants to infuse his life into his people and lead them out of exile and into a kingdom that has no end!

“Come, Spirit of God, and bring me to life!” (Meditation on Ezekiel 37:1-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the continuity of the message of Ezekiel expressed today in a symbolic way perhaps by experience of Zoroastrianism burial by laying corpse in a plain. There is a rise in hints of resurrection in the spiritual texts of this time. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' emphasis on the vertical and the horizontal dimensions of our love of God and His children.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Choctaw elder and retired Episcopal bishop Steven Charleston who explains how Indigenous elders carry the wisdom of the past in service of the present and future.

Our eternal grandparents. They are watching over us, all those who have gone before. They are our ancestors, and they have seen enough in their own lives to know what we are going through. They have survived economic collapse, social unrest, political struggle, and great wars that raged for years. Now, from their place of peace, they seek to send their wisdom into our hearts, to guide us to reconciliation, to show us our mistakes before we make them. Their love for us is strong. Their faith in us is certain. When times get hard, sit quietly and open your spirit to the eternal grandparents, who are still a part of your spiritual world. Receive their blessing, for their light will lead you home. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the heritage which is entrusted to us from those who have brought us to our material and spiritual present and we seek from God the faith, hope and love to offer life to those we encounter on our journey.

References

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 37 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/37?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22?34 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082324.html 

Meditation on Ezekiel 37:1-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/08/23/1056940/ 

Psalms, PSALM 107 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/107?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ancestors-and-wisdom/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=aug23