5th Sunday of Lent

Scripture
1st Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14
2nd Reading: Romans 8:8-11
Gospel: John 11: 1-45

I would like to start this morning (evening) by giving a quote that was given during a presentation by Fr. Tom Vandenberg at the Deacon Lenten Retreat last weekend. “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change”. For those who missed it; “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change”. First of all, we better watch out how we look at things, and others, If you know what I mean!!!!!!!!!

Now, let us take a real close look at Jesus in our Gospel today. How do you see Jesus? Do you see Jesus grieving the loss of a friend or the sympathy he has for Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, His friend who has died? Maybe you see Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God? Or maybe you see Jesus foretelling his own paschal mystery?

These are good ideas of who Jesus is. But I can’t help but associate very deeply with Jesus’ tears. This is the emotional and human reaction Jesus was having. Jesus cried. Jesus shed tears for his friends of whom he loved. Can you see Jesus shedding tears for you
when you are in some kind of strife in your lives? After all I would hope that all of us consider Jesus our friend! Do we shed tears for Him?

Jesus is also shedding tears for all those who do not believe, who do not see who He really is. Even after seeing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, there are still unbelievers. Let us take this idea, the way we look at Jesus a bit further. Let’s break down His tears.

We see on the surface what we feel they represent but have we brought to mind what tears are shed when we sin? How much abandonment, how much anguish do our sins bring upon Jesus? Our sins put Him on the cross, didn’t they? This should bring tears to our eyes!!

Lets look at some of the times Jesus wept. Does Jesus weep for those who will not believe? How about the tears Jesus shed when standing outside of Jerusalem? Were His tears for those who were causing the city’s utter destruction and for the place where he would suffer greatly?
Tears for us?

Imagine the tears Jesus shed in anguish and abandonment during the Agony in the Garden? Tears for those who were with Him but couldn’t stay awake to console Jesus when he needed them the most?
Tears for us?

Then the tears Jesus sheds during his passion and death on a cross! The anguish, pain, suffering, abandonment loneliness as his Apostles hide in fear. Tears for us?

Our Lenten Journey is coming fast to a close. Today’s readings remind us of what lies ahead with Ezekiel’s vision of a new life for a valley of bones and Paul’s promise that the Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies.

Today’s readings remind us of the love God has for us. A love so strong that tears are shed for us, so strong that Jesus suffered, died on a cross and rose from the dead to ascend into heaven to give us the way, through him, to the Father. Why, because of the great love God has for us. Tears for us and love for us? This alone should cause us to shed our tears every time we sin!

Take a look at our own lives and the times when we have shed our tears as Jesus shed his tears. Have you experienced the feeling of grief when you have lost a family member, the loss of a close friend or when someone has denied your love?

From personal experience my tears were shed, why? The loss of someone I loved. The loss of a companion. The sense of loneliness and even abandonment. Have you experienced the same? It was the loss of my sister who lost her life 18 days after her 40th birthday.

Remember the movie “The Passion of the Christ”? I saw the movie for the first time in a movie house that seated approximately 800 people. A mega movie house in Kirkland and the place was packed. I remember all the times throughout the movie when I heard someone crying.

Even when the movie ended and the credits had run its course, I could, in all that silence, hear a cry or two sporadically coming from throughout the crowd. This lasted about three minutes after the screen had gone dark and the lights turned up.

I know that my tears drew me to think of the times that I have caused Jesus to shed tears as I was pulling away through my own ignorance, my own sinfulness. Have you experienced the same?
Tears for us? Tears for Him?

To go to the very depth of Jesus’ tears there is one thread that linked them all. His tears were associated with prayer. Jesus was a man of prayer. His sensibility did not evaporate in just mere emotion. His sighs and groans and tears He turned all into prayer.

So let it be with us. Let us not indulge in our times of grief, our times of strife but let those times take us to prayer. Let those times bring us to His grace offered to us at no charge. Let those times when we shed our tears, prompt us to rise and call upon God who is always there reaching out to us.

As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist let us come with all our sorrows, all our pain, all our tears, all our joy in humble acceptance of the gift of Himself.

Remember the quote at the beginning: “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change”. Something that we can all apply to our lives; you might look at things, at people in a whole different way, in our relationships, in our marriages, in our friendships, in our families, in our Church.

I leave you now with this:
“The Son of God in tears, the wondering Angels see!
Be then astonish’d, O my soul! He shed those tears for thee.
He wept that we might weep, each sin demands a tear.
In heaven alone no sin is found- and there’s no weeping there!

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!