Fresh Dew Media

 5^th Sunday of Lent, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

THEME: Making Our Hearts and Families Befitting Homes for God

Readings: Ez 37:12–14; Rom 8:8–11; Jn 11:1–45

Dear friends in Christ, the liturgical celebration of this Fifth Sunday of Lent centres on the theme of death, restoration, and resurrection or reanimation. The three readings present a beautiful unity: they reveal God’s power to reanimate, restore, and raise those who have been knocked down; they show the power of God through Christ over death and over every human situation that seems hopeless; they show God’s power to untie those bound by sickness, depression, sorrow, difficulties, and disappointments, and to send them home renewed.

The first reading comes from the vision and prophecy of Ezekiel concerning the people of Israel in exile in Babylon. In this vision, the Israelites in Babylon are likened to dry bones scattered in a valley—without flesh, without hope, and without a future (Ez 37:11). It is a vivid depiction of the terrible condition they were experiencing in exile. Ezekiel sees God breathe His Spirit upon the dry bones and restore them to life. God then assures him that just as the bones received flesh and new life, so the people of Israel will live again: they will be freed from slavery, restored to their land, and experience new life that springs from God’s Spirit. Their release from captivity is described as rising from the grave to a new life. The prophet urges his people to look beyond their present catastrophe toward future restoration and glory.

The vision and prophecy of Ezekiel—and the eventual release of Israel from captivity—reveal God’s power over everything that threatens our lives. They assure us that slavery, difficulties, hunger, depression, hopelessness, trials, tribulations, and even death cannot conquer those in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

The second reading today offers an even stronger affirmation of what the Spirit of God accomplishes in those in whom He dwells. It declares: “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Therefore, as Christians, we must ensure that our bodies are true temples of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit dwells in us, difficult situations cannot conquer us, and our mortal bodies will not experience ultimate decay at death (Ps 16:10). The Spirit will continually reanimate us, fill us with hope, and guide our steps.

This reading also teaches us what we must do to ensure that the Spirit of God dwells in us. It explains that those who live according to the flesh cannot please God, and the Spirit cannot dwell in them. Living “in the flesh” means allowing ourselves to be controlled by sinful desires and immoral behaviours. Our bodies are meant to be temples of the Holy Spirit.

Lent offers us a privileged opportunity to purify our hearts and lives through the sacrament of penance, so that the Spirit of God may find in us a worthy dwelling place. When we make our hearts and homes places where God is welcomed, His grace will always come to our aid—especially in moments of pain and sorrow.

The Gospel today shows us what God does for those who welcome Christ into their lives and homes. Because of the hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees, only a few families opened their doors to Jesus and His disciples. One of these was the family of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. They became true friends of Jesus during His ministry and used their resources to care for Him and His disciples whenever they came to Bethany to preach the Good News.

When this family was plunged into mourning by the death of Lazarus, Jesus did not abandon them. Instead, He came to them, wiped away their tears, restored their hope, and returned their joy by bringing Lazarus back to life. This is what happens to those who make their lives and homes worthy dwelling places for Christ and the Holy Spirit. Dear friends, if God’s Spirit truly lives in you, death cannot defeat you. If you make Christ the friend of your life and your family, sorrow and pain will not conquer you; Christ will surely come to your aid even when all hope seems lost.

Let us remember that when Jesus came to raise Lazarus, it was already four days after his death, and his body was expected to have begun decomposing. Humanly speaking, all hope was gone. Yet for those who are friends of Christ, hope never dies. This is a lesson for all who have made themselves friends of Christ: God’s seeming delay in answering your prayers is a call to patience and trust. Christ will not abandon you. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” To those who have not yet made their hearts and families fitting homes for Christ, the Church invites you to begin today.

Let us make Christ our friend this Lent by purifying our hearts from sin, listening to His voice, and living according to His teachings. Let us make our homes worthy places for Christ by building our families on love, forgiveness, and peace, for wherever Christ dwells, life always triumphs. Dear friends, praying together should be one of our common practices in our families this Lent.

Peace be with you

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima