Friends,
Today’s readings remind us how God wishes to release us from all that holds us back from him, whether it be sin, despair, or the grave itself. God desires to carry us from the emptiness of death, in all its forms, to new life in the Spirit.
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel tells how God will call us, even from the grave, to offer us the Spirit of life. We will be brought back home and settled on our soil. The Psalm shows this same upward movement from the depths of despair and guilt to the joy and the fullness of life through redemption. The second reading reveals how this new life is possible – only by Christ living in us. We, ourselves, will be home to the Spirit of God.
The Gospel recalls the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is Resurrection and life; we will see God’s glory when we have faith in him.
This week, let us renew our belief in the one who is Resurrection and fullness of life. Let us also ponder the gifts of life, freedom, and joy that the Lord freely offers. And finally, let us imagine what life in his Spirit look like in the coming days.
Joy and peace.
