As I said last week, I would talk about the Gospel for the Third
Scrutiny which happened today The Raising of Lazarus.
In the story of the raising of Lazarus, we come to the final days
before the elect must stand before the font and profess their faith. In this
reading, the miracle happens at the end of the story, but faith is already
expressed long before the miracle takes place. Martha makes her profession of
faith in Jesus the Messiah even as her brother is lying dead in the tomb. She
needed no words and no miraculous deeds to believe in him; she only needed to
believe. Period.
In this final story, we see what those who have been entrusted to
continue Jesus' work have hopefully been doing in order to prepare the elect to
make their profession of faith. They have been preparing them, like Jesus
prepared Martha and Mary, to understand the paschal mystery they would witness
in the resurrection—that out of death comes new life in Christ. Only after
Lazarus is revived and Jesus is raised from the dead will Martha truly
understand the words of faith she professed. It is her belief in and love for
Jesus that allow her to be ready for whatever he will do despite her human
logic that death is death, for “Martha believes not in what she
understands but in the one who has the words of eternal life”.
When the three scrutiny readings are examined in this way, we begin to
understand what the RCIA means when it says that Lent “is intended as well to
enlighten the minds and hearts of the elect with a deeper knowledge of Christ
the Savior”. The Gospels assigned to the
scrutinies are there to ask the elect:
- Could he
possibly be the Messiah? – Woman at the Well
- Do you
believe in the Son of Man? – The Healing of the Blind Man
- Do you
believe this? – The Raising of Lazarus
Lent is also the time when each one of us asks ourselves once again,
the same three questions. This is our time to experience a renewal of our own
faith too!
Let us continue to pray for those who will be baptized, receive the
Eucharist for the first time, confirmed and welcomed into the Church and our
parish community.
To keep you up to date on what is happening with me, I will undergo 2
more tests in March. Following these
tests, the first surgery has been scheduled for April 8, 2013. The second one is tentatively scheduled for
the first week in May.
Although I will do this again later when I come back, I would like to
thank all those who have sent cards, prayers and good wishes! It is very much
appreciated!! Please continue to keep me in your prayers.
Fr.
Phil
