Pastor’s Notes

“Come forth!”  

Lazarus, standing in the door of his tomb, tasting dust, still smelling of aloes and myrrh with which he was embalmed… Still straining to see through his eyes that were recently sealed… He stands as an image of hope as we move through these weeks of social distancing and the disciplines of remaining in place.  It is so easy to start blaming and accusing.  “The worldwide coronavirus pandemic is not God’s judgment on humanity,” Pope Francis said in an “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on Friday to an empty rain-soaked St. Peters Square.  “But,” he said, it is “God’s call on people to judge what is most important to them and resolve to act accordingly from now on.

In his prayer, the pope said that “it is not the time of “your” judgment, but of “our” judgment: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.”

Jesus goes over the edge in the final of his signs in John’s Gospel. He raises from apparent death his dearest friend and gives us a picture of what God might have for us on other side of this. “This illness is not to end in death, Jesus says. But …”it is for the glory of God.” What could he mean by this.? Human goodness is showing though in miraculous ways; divine glory in beautiful self-giving.

Not so strange.  We get raised up all the time, “resurrected” in a lot by interaction with Jesus of Nazareth.  If we were an eyewitness on the day when Jesus called Lazarus back to life, any thought on your reaction?  Would we have believed with our own eyes?  Or “exited stage left” as fast as our little legs could carry us.  I wonder if that would have left me standing there like a corpse, just trembling and terrified?   

A funeral director recently called a man for further instructions about his mother-in-law’s body.  “Do you want her embalmed, cremated or buried?”  “All the three!’ the man answered promptly.  “Don’t take any chances.” Many times, we do not risk when it comes to death.

What a Lent this has become! What needs to be raised from the dead these days?  In our lives and relationships beyond the concerns of the coronavirus, what needs to be “unbound and set free” in our Catholic community and our country…or just snorted at in the very perturbed-ness of God at our wounded earth?  We are invited in this final week of Lent to imagine what is on the other side of this stay at home.  It could change the world.

A friend sent me note this week, “I am having a “kind-a feeling like Mother Earth has sent us to our rooms to think about what we have done.”  Official Lenten activities and devotions are cancelled.  But this will be a Lent none of us will ever forget.  Holy Week is soon on us and all are invited to “spiritual communion.” Sacred Triduum of three Holy days will show us how we are connected to each other.  We continue to offer confessions in the sacred garden west of church. Our friar’s daily Mass at will be live-streamed at eleven each day.  We will make the best of it as we linger on the Easter mysteries. 

Stay gently tuned.  
Fr. Michael Weldon, OFM