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/ 

Grace and Growth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess the tensions in our life that threaten to draw us away from the nourishment of communion with God and people that is necessary for our growth.

Growth in Season

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.)

Psalm 24 accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God into the Temple.

* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10). (Psalms, PSALM 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents A Call to Repentance using The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.

* [13:1] The slaughter of the Galileans by Pilate is unknown outside Luke; but from what is known about Pilate from the Jewish historian Josephus, such a slaughter would be in keeping with the character of Pilate. Josephus reports that Pilate had disrupted a religious gathering of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim with a slaughter of the participants (Antiquities 18:86–87), and that on another occasion Pilate had killed many Jews who had opposed him when he appropriated money from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct in Jerusalem (Jewish War 2:175–77; Antiquities 18:60–62).

* [13:4] Like the incident mentioned in Lk 13:1 nothing of this accident in Jerusalem is known outside Luke and the New Testament.

* [13:6–9] Following on the call to repentance in Lk 13:1–5, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their repentance (see Lk 3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of the age because the delay will not be permanent (Lk 13:8–9). (Luke, CHAPTER 13|USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Anish Kochanichottil, SJ, comments that the story of the fig tree and the gardener is, at its heart, a story of hope and patience.

The gardener sees beyond my present barrenness and believes in what I can still become. He pleads for another chance, trusting that with care, pruning, and time, there will be new growth. Often, those painful moments of pruning, correction, struggle, or loss are the gardener’s way of helping me grow stronger and more fruitful.

It is said that nothing that only takes and never gives can truly live. The barren fig tree drew life from the soil but gave nothing in return. In life, too, we are called not only to receive but to give, to put back more than we take. In the end, we are all debtors to life. We have received love, faith, and freedom through the sacrifices of others. Our task is to pass them on, bearing fruit that nourishes others and leaves the world a little better than we found it. (Kochanichottil, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord's three visits through the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a fruitless tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop it blocking up my field.' The gardener intercedes... This tree is the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are now; with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as though it should have been cut down, but the merciful one intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how merciful he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around it.' Manure is a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure; perhaps it may bear fruit.' Since it does bear fruit in one part, and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are good people and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 13:1-9 asks “Who would have thought that animal waste could be so important?” But that’s exactly why Jesus included it in his parable of the fig tree. He was saying that God often uses the messy “fertilizer” in our lives to help us grow.

You may look at your life as it is right now and wonder whether your potential will ever emerge. You may look at your current circumstance and wonder how God could possibly be working in it. But don’t just look at whatever mess you might be in; look at the One who is actively at work to transform you through it. And follow his lead. When you practice patience in suffering, when you speak a word of peace rather than division, you are telling him that you are willing to trust him. Never underestimate what the Master Gardener can do when you let him go to work!

“Jesus, help me to bear fruit for your kingdom!” (Meditation on Luke 13:1-9, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Romans, Paul contrasts the flesh with the spirit and our concupiscence that takes us from what God wants. The Spirit wants, to fill us with the life of God and live it in our everyday life and be aware of the things they may take us away even seemingly small things of health, judgement of others and neglecting their dignity. Jesus looks at accidents and disasters to take it as a warning and convert as in funerals or accidents that we should take note. The fruit tree, cut down after three years, seems too short, but Friar Jude has learned that the young tree is actually left to build in the fifth, sixth or seventh year to bear fruit after the perfect number in time. Friar Jude notes the tree is given another year, even after the perfect amount of time, and is a gracious extension. Friar Jude notes there is a time of judgement and we consider that today is the day we might meet the Lord.

Fr. Mike Schmitz gives us context for the beginning of 2 Maccabees and recounts the story of Nehemiah’s discovery of the sacred fire. He also offers a reflection for those struggling with grief and death, which serves as a reminder to all about the blessing of our lives and the lives of those we love. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 1, Sirach 40-41, and Proverbs 24:1-7.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces social justice movement lawyer Alison McCrary who offers ten practices to create a contemplative foundation that supports the work for justice.

As we work for this [more just] future as people on a spiritual journey, engaging in action for liberation in accordance with our Christian tradition, we are called to cultivate a contemplative life. “Contemplative activism” can be embodied through these ten practices:  

1. Ground ourselves in spiritual practices. Know our practices. Cultivate an inner life. 

2. Decolonize our lives and the systems that perpetuate colonized behaviors and mentalities. 

3. Listen deeply to others, especially those on the margins of the margins. 

4. Have a willingness to challenge power and build collective power. 

5. Follow the leadership of those closest to the pain or the problem. 

6. Build genuine relationships with those you are working with and advocating for. 

7. Cultivate community and care. 

8. Maintain an ever-evolving and deepening political analysis, values, and language. 

9. Take risks. 

10. Hold onto radical hope. 

Each of the above practices also calls us to cultivate a practice of presence: to the divine, within our bodies, with our feelings (grief, joy, despair, hope), to and with another person, in the face of a person or institution causing harm, with nature, and to what is wanting to be revealed and created…. 

Being present, living into the ten practices of a contemplative activist, and staying grounded in our contemplative practices can awaken us to a new awareness of the divine dwelling within and among us as we work for good and move Martin Luther King Jr.’s “arc of justice” toward liberation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the “fertilizer” in our life that is the sign that God is offering the support we need, perhaps in contemplative activism, to enrich the harvest of love, faith, and hope in our environment.

References

Kochanichottil, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-25-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 13|USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13?1 

Meditation on Luke 13:1-9. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/25/1414199/ 

Psalms, PSALM 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/christianity-a-living-tradition-weekly-summary/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Unless You Repent - You Will Perish. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 25, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/