2026 Cycle A - 5th Sunday in Lent

Readings

5th Sunday in Lent

Ezekiel 37: 12-14; Psalm 130;1-8; Romans 8: 8-11; John 11: 1-45 or John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

Homily Theme

Everyone dreads death and prefers not to think about it, but today the scriptures force us to dwell on it.  The readings this week are all about life and death and God’s mercy for us if we seek His Mercy. When we think of death we usually think about our physical death, the day we stop breathing and our heart stops beating. A death most do not think about as much, is spiritual death, when a person or a nation stops feeling guilt, when we  no longer believe in mortal sin. When evil is rationalized as a good. Today, literally millions of our fellow citizens feel no guilt about disregarding the Ten Commandments of God. Many don’t even know what the Commandments are. That is something for us to really mourn about. They are commands not suggestions.

Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus but now He weeps for babies that are not allowed to live. If only Jesus had been there in our hearts, they would not have been allowed to die. Millions and millions of our babies, future doctors, lawyers, priests, scientists and Saints, never made it into this world. Millions of American babies alone, lost since Roe v Wade, are like the Holy Innocents, baptized in their own blood.

There are many other serious sins that are being rationalized and then we wonder why there is not peace in our hearts. Yes, we have reason to mourn and weep with Jesus this Sunday. Eighty five percent of our citizens claim to believe in God but only twenty five percent attend Church to worship Him at least once a week. The vast majority feel no guilt for they have already spiritually died and do not know it.  Let us all mourn for them this Sunday and ask Jesus to bring them back to life. Remember, great sinners can become great saints, if they choose Christ now .

A dear friend constantly asked me for prayers and Masses for her grown children and grandchildren. She was blessed to see a grandson receive Holy Communion again as she lay dying in the Emergency room. He was able to receive the host that she was no longer able to swallow. Her prayers were answered and God blessed her for her faith.  After the funeral the young man promised me that he would attend Mass each Sunday from now on. I knew by looking at him that he will. Like Lazarus, in today’s Gospel, he too was dead in a spiritual tomb, but Christ raised him back to a spiritual life in the Church. Yes, now he was brought back to life through the prayers of his grandmother. I was blessed to see his grace filled face as we parted company.

Let us pray for those all who are still dead in sin and ask Jesus to bring them out of the tombs in which their sins have placed them.  Perhaps others today will read this homily and be brought back to life.   It is a Matter of Eternal life or Eternal Death.  Choose heaven and avoid hell.