5th Sunday of Lent, Year A
All our readings today have words of encouragement for us in this horrible time of the COVD-19 pandemic. In today's gospel reading from the gospel of Saint John 11:1-45 Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." These words of Jesus should be heard by each and everyone of us today as we battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesus reminds us with these words of who is in control and who to trust in. He is in control and He is the one we need to trust in during these difficult times. Yes it is a fact that we are all worried at the moment on what next is going to happen to us, our loved ones, family, friends etc especially as more and more people are infected and killed by this deadly virus. Jesus assures us to believe in Him and that He is with us in these trying times.
Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans 8:8-11 our second reading today informs us that “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” Hence, no matter what we are going through or experiencing in our lives especially now, we are reminded that the Spirit of God is with us even in these times. In our first reading today from the Book of Prophet Ezekiel 37:12-14, Prophet Ezekiel tells us that God is with us and will put His spirit in us that we may live. So with God on our side, we will be victorious and conquer all that threatens our existence in Him and our relationship with Him. Yes it is a fact that these readings emphasize the presence, importance and significance of God in our lives as His sons and daughters, but they also remind us that as disciples of Christ, we are called to truly and sincerely Acknowledge God in our lives today. Acknowledging God in our lives as Christians means we are to accept Him, proclaim His existence in and to our world and recognize Him in our everyday lives. Have we truly accepted God into our lives? If we have, why do we still doubt His presence in the difficult moments of our lives? Why do we still question and reject Him and His gospel? Do we even believe and admit that He is with us especially as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic? Do we recognize Him in the blessings, graces and mercies He constantly bestows upon us even with the trials we face in our lives?
My dear brothers and sisters, we are really and genuinely blessed by God as His children as today’s readings remind us, but we have to acknowledge these blessings by accepting Him as our Savior and Redeemer, by admitting and proclaiming His existence in our world and by recognizing Him in our everyday lives no matter the pain, suffering, difficulties, hardships and struggles that come our way. Amen!
