5th Sunday of Lent – Year A
Theme: “Come Out!” – Christ the Resurrection and the Life
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12–14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130
Second Reading: Romans 8:8–11
Gospel: John 11:11–45
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1. Introduction
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we approach Holy Week, the Church places before us not a small miracle or a symbolic act, but a confrontation with death itself.
In today’s Gospel, Lazarus is not sick.
He is not unconscious.
He is not dying.
He is dead.
Four days in the tomb.
The stone is sealed.
Hope is buried.
And into that sealed darkness, Jesus cries out:
“Lazarus, come out!”
Today’s Gospel is not just about Lazarus.
It is about every one of us.
Because every human heart knows what it means to feel buried.
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2. The Cry of the Human Heart
What is the hidden cry of our people today?
Many are alive outwardly — but feel dead inwardly.
• A marriage that feels lifeless.
• A prayer life that feels dry.
• A faith that feels weak.
• A heart burdened by guilt.
• A habit that refuses to change.
Some are silently saying:
“It is too late for me.”
“Nothing will change.”
“I have tried and failed.”
That was Martha’s cry:
“Lord, if You had been here…”
How many times have we said that in our hearts?
“Lord, if You had answered earlier…”
“Lord, if You had prevented this…”
Today, Jesus answers that cry.
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3. The Message of Today’s Readings
(1) First Reading – Ezekiel 37
Israel is in exile. Jerusalem destroyed. Temple burned. They say:
“Our bones are dried up. Our hope is lost.”
They feel finished.
And God says:
“I will open your graves.”
Notice: God does not say, “Try harder.”
He says, “I will act.”
Resurrection begins with God.
St. Jerome once said:
“Despair is the devil’s greatest weapon.”
Exile had produced despair.
But God promises restoration.
Some people today are living in exile — not from a country, but from joy, from peace, from faith.
God says to them:
“I will open your grave.”
Not maybe.
Not if you deserve.
But I will.
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(2) Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 130
“Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.”
This is not a polite prayer.
This is the cry of someone drowning.
“If You mark iniquities, who can stand?”
The Psalm teaches humility.
But then comes hope:
“With the Lord there is mercy.”
Not punishment first — mercy first.
St. Augustine said:
“The tears of repentance are the wine of angels.”
When we cry from the depths, God does not ignore us.
He listens.
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(3) Second Reading – Romans 8
St. Paul tells us something powerful:
“The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.”
Dwells in you.
The same Spirit that raised Christ
is not far away —
He lives within the baptized.
That means resurrection is not only for the future.
It begins now.
When:
• A sinner repents,
• A proud heart humbles itself,
• A person forgives,
• A habit begins to break,
Resurrection is happening.
St. Athanasius said:
“The Son of God became man so that we might share in His divine life.”
That life begins in the Spirit.
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(4) Gospel – John 11
This is the climax of Jesus’ public ministry.
Let us enter the scene.
Jesus delays.
Why?
St. John Chrysostom explains:
“He allowed death so that His power would be unmistakable.”
Sometimes God delays not to deny, but to deepen faith.
Then Jesus says:
“I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
Not “I will give resurrection.”
“I AM.”
Resurrection is not just an event.
It is a Person.
Then the shortest verse:
“Jesus wept.”
St. Thomas Aquinas said:
“He wept to show He is truly human; He raised Lazarus to show He is truly God.”
Our God is not distant from suffering.
He stands before tombs and weeps.
Then comes the command:
“Take away the stone.”
Jesus could have removed it.
But He asks others to cooperate.
Grace requires participation.
And then:
“Lazarus, come out!”
St. Augustine beautifully said:
“If He had not named Lazarus, all the dead would have risen.”
His voice has authority over death.
But Lazarus comes out still bound.
“Unbind him.”
Resurrection is instant.
Transformation takes time.
The Church helps remove grave clothes:
• Confession,
• Spiritual direction,
• Community,
• Prayer.
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4. Key Biblical Verse
“I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
Carry this in your heart.
Where Christ is present, death does not have the last word.
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5. Spiritual Diagnosis
What is our tomb?
• A repeated sin.
• A refusal to forgive.
• Pride.
• Spiritual laziness.
• Loss of hope.
The real disease beneath everything is unbelief.
We believe Christ can act for others.
But do we believe He can act in us?
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6. Spiritual Contrast & Divine Remedy
The world says:
“Escape suffering.”
Christ says:
“Transform suffering.”
The world says:
“Hide your weakness.”
Christ says:
“Bring it to Me.”
Fear says:
“It is too late.”
Faith says:
“Roll away the stone.”
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7. Pastoral Reflection
My dear people,
Some of you feel ashamed of your tomb.
You think:
“It smells.”
“It is embarrassing.”
“It is hopeless.”
Martha said the same: “Lord, there will be a stench.”
But Christ is not afraid of the smell of sin.
He enters it.
He stands before it.
He calls you by name.
He does not shout generally.
He calls personally.
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8. Self-Examination
Let us be silent for a moment.
Where am I in this Gospel?
Am I Martha — believing but doubting?
Am I Mary — weeping in disappointment?
Am I Lazarus — bound in habit?
Am I among the crowd — watching but unmoved?
What stone must I remove?
(Pause.)
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9. The Call of the Hour
Holy Week is near.
Before Jesus enters His own tomb,
He opens another.
Why?
To prepare us.
Soon we will stand before the Cross.
Soon we will see the stone rolled before Christ’s tomb.
But because of today’s Gospel, we know:
The stone will not win.
This is urgent because spiritual numbness grows quietly.
Today Christ calls.
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10. Weekly Action
1. Go to Confession this week.
2. Pray Psalm 130 daily.
3. Identify one grave cloth — one concrete sin — and begin removing it.
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11. The Echo and Take-Home Message
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
No tomb is final when Christ stands before it.
Not your past.
Not your weakness.
Not your repeated failures.
Not your hidden wounds.
The voice that called Lazarus
still echoes in the Church today.
You were not created for burial.
You were created for life.
When Christ calls your name —
do not remain inside.
Come out.
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12. Conclusion
Soon we will see another tomb — Christ’s own.
But on Easter morning, He will rise not because someone calls Him — but because He is Life itself.
Lazarus needed Jesus.
We need Him even more.
Let this Lent not end with reflection alone.
Let it end with resurrection within you.
If there is a stone — roll it away.
If there is a sin — confess it.
If there is a wound — surrender it.
If there is fear — release it.
Do not admire the miracle.
Experience it.
Come out.
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13. Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You are the Resurrection and the Life.
Stand before the tombs of our hearts.
Call us by name.
Give us the courage to remove the stone.
Unbind us from sin.
Fill us with Your Spirit.
Prepare us for the joy of Easter.
Amen.
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Dr. ADDANKI RAJU.
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