God be in my mind, on my lips and in my heart that I may worthily proclaim your holy gospel.

I imagine most of us have never had a Lenten experience quite like this. 

Five and half weeks ago on Ash Wednesday we knew we had a crisis looming. 

As we live through it, our emotional rollercoaster ride has taken us on a plummeting decline that has slowed to a crawl but is still headed downhill.

Most unpleasant and scary on a visceral level.

I dedicate this homily to those among us with the most to fear, those who have underlying health conditions.  I also dedicate this homily to those who spend much of their lives living paycheck to paycheck and are now clinging to the hope that elected leaders will truly lead with compassion and courage. 

That my friends is three-fourths of our fellow citizens.  If you are among them, I dedicate this homily to you.

Today’s Gospel reading lends itself to guided meditation.  John supplies us with scenes, stage direction, characters, dialogue, and plot.

If we place ourselves in the shoes of any one of the characters our hearts and minds may be transported to a new level of trust in the love of God for each of us and for humanity and for all creation.

First scene, Jesus is staying just outside the district of Judea with his disciples, keeping a distance from the Jewish leaders who had recently tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. 

Place yourself there as Jesus receives word of the death of his friend Lazarus.  

Picture Jesus’ face, how he comports himself.

He puts off any decision for 2 days.  What might those days have felt like in the circle of the followers?  Relief to be in a safe place? 

Then Jesus makes the decision to return to Judea.  As a follower, how is your anxiety level?  Do you worry for Jesus’ safety or your own safety?

You are Thomas and suddenly you find yourself saying, after much hemming and hawing, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

This is not someone already convinced of the resurrection.  This is someone who has already left all to follow Jesus and says, “I’m all in.”

That could be said of many of us if we have internalized our baptismal commitment.

Thomas stands in for all believers who realize that following Jesus to glory means participating in Jesus’ death.  He says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 

If you identify with Thomas today, you are the “Beloved Disciple” for whom this Gospel is written.

Second scene, Jesus is on the outskirts of the village of Bethany. 

Picture yourself as Martha gone out to meet Jesus on the road.  Your brother is dead. 

Your sister, Mary, is home, grief-stricken.

Martha has a lead role.

She voices the confessional statement,

“Yes, I believe that you are the messiah, the Chosen One of God, the one coming into the world.”

This confession is reserved to the lips of Peter in Matt. 16,16.  It is on the basis of that statement that Jesus confers special authority on Peter. 

In our passage today, the gospel writer makes clear that each of us disciples, including women, hold the same “rank” when it comes to confessing Jesus as Lord. 

This sets John’s community apart from the communities that depended on “apostolic tradition” and its accompanying structure of bishops and presbyters. 

John’s community would respect ecclesiastical offices but give discipleship primacy in the reign of God. 

If you identify with Martha today, you are the “Beloved Disciple” for whom this Gospel is written.

Third scene, Mary is summoned to Jesus side by her sister, Martha. 

Mary represents the followers whose affection for Jesus prompts them to extravagant gestures;

she is referenced as the one who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears. 

In our passage today Mary feels free to remonstrate with Jesus, saying,

“If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

Mary’s grief moves Jesus to express intense emotion.

The gospel writer makes the case that Jesus does understand our sorrow and our fear. 

If you identify with Mary today, you are the “Beloved Disciple” for whom this Gospel is written.

Fourth scene, we are at the tomb.

Lazarus has a more or less passive role, at least a non-speaking role since he is first of all ill and then dead and in the tomb.  When Jesus says,

“I am the resurrection and the life. 

Those who believe in me,

even though they die, will live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

he speaks about each of us followers and wants us to identify with Lazarus.  We do not wait for life beyond death; we already participate in the life of Christ. 

If we identify with Lazarus, we are the “Beloved Disciple” for whom this Gospel is written.

The raising of Lazarus from the dead arms the community of faith with a sign

that clearly places Jesus on an equal footing with God;

Jesus is a true threat to the authority of the Jewish leaders.

Jesus speaks with the authority of God.

Those who truly follow Jesus speak with the authority of the Paraclete, the spirit of Jesus,

and are also a threat to those who would sacrifice a person to save an institution.

Each of the named persons in this passage stands in for the true followers of Jesus.  

Jesus loves Martha and Mary and Lazarus (and the other followers represented by Thomas) very much.

That same Christ Jesus sustains us with power that we can tap into, especially in times of crisis.

The Gospel of John stresses what is truly essential, namely, the living presence of Jesus in the Christian through the Paraclete.

For a swft end to the coronavirus pandemic that afflicts our world, we pray …

That the power of God working in and through people will heal the sick, strengthen those who care for them and help us all to persevere in faith, we pray,…

That those who control economic levers in our world will invest in the health and well-being of future generations as well as the here and now, we pray, …

That faith communities and leaders of churches will listen carefully to the promptings of the Paraclete, we pray, …

That those who travel because their work is essential will be kept safe, we pray, …

That the Spirit of Jesus in our community will touch those in need of healing, we pray, …

Please take this time to speak the names of those whom you know to need intercession.  For these and all those listed in our Book of Intentions, we pray, …

Holy One, you raised Jesus from the dead and dwell now in us and among us.  May Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, open our hearts to all the manifestations of new life in our midst, and may we herald the Good News to all we meet.  We ask this in Jesus’ Name.

Almighty and merciful God,

Source of all life, health and healing, look with compassion on our world, brought low by disease;

Protect is in the midst of the grave challenges that assail us and in your tender providence

grant recovery to the stricken, strrength to those who care for them,

and success to those working to eradicat this scourge.

Through Christ Jesus we pray.