Fr. Bob's Reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Lent - Guest Post

Many people are familiar with the Chicago Cubs, the famous baseball team long known as the “lovable losers.” For decades, they were known for never winning the World Series. Then, in 2016, something extraordinary happened. The lovable losers finally became champions, winning their first World Series in 108 years. As the final out was recorded, the Cubs’ first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, was overwhelmed with emotion. He became teary-eyed. But his tears were not only tears of joy, from winning a championship. At just 18 years old, Anthony had been diagnosed with cancer. He underwent treatment, and by God’s grace, overcame the disease. Months later, he returned to baseball and eventually to a normal life. The World Series was the second-greatest battle he had won. Anthony later established a foundation to help children with cancer and has credited his Christian faith with carrying him through his illness. We encounter that same kind of deeply moving beauty in today’s Gospel. Jesus stands at the tomb of Lazarus and weeps. It is one of the most powerful and tender moments in all of Scripture, because in that moment, Jesus shares His humanity with us. We sometimes forget that Jesus was fully human. It’s easy to overlook that He became hungry in the desert, thirsty on the cross, weary on the road to Samaria and fearful in the Garden of Gethsemane. Why is it so important to remember the humanity of Jesus – to remember the tears He shed? The answer is simple: we can identify with Him. Every pain, every tragedy, every loss we endure, Jesus has endured first. He understands what it means to be human, and that understanding gives us hope. Yet today’s Gospel reveals something even more magnificent. While Jesus weeps for Lazarus, He also raises him from the dead. In doing so, Jesus shows us that He is not merely human. He is the Son of God. He reveals both His humanity and His divinity. He can touch our lives in a way no other human ever could. There was once a military chaplain named Robert McAfee Brown who was traveling by ship with soldiers returning home from World War II. Some Marines invited him to join their daily Bible study. One day, they were reading this very Gospel passage. During the discussion, one Marine shared that God had spoken to him through the story of Lazarus. He admitted that during the war, while stationed in Japan, he had committed serious sins and had become overwhelmed with guilt. He felt trapped, ashamed and even considered taking his own life. But as he reflected on the Gospel, the Marine realized that Jesus understood his suffering because Jesus was human. At the same time, he came to understand that Jesus was also God, able to do something no one else could. Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the tomb, He could raise him to new life. The Marine discovered that Jesus is the resurrection and the life – not only in the next life, but in this one as well. These three stories – Anthony Rizzo’s, Lazarus’ and the Marine’s – teach us something essential about Jesus. They remind us that Jesus shares our humanity. He knows pain, sorrow and loss. But they also reveal to us that He is the Son of God, whose divine power brings healing, hope and new life. Just as He raised Lazarus, He continues to raise us beyond what we could ever imagine. This is the Good News of today’s Gospel: Jesus’ humanity comforts us, and His divinity empowers us. My friends, this is the promise of Christ, who always calls us forth to new life. Yours in Christ, Fr. Robert Warren, S.A. Spiritual Director