Today’s Gospel, taken from that of St John, recounts the last miracle of Jesus recorded by John.  It tells that Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, was a sick man and his sisters, Mary and Martha, send for Jesus that he might bring healing to their brother.

As always, John’s Gospel is full of symbolism and imagery.  The sick Lazarus personifies sinful humanity in need of the power of Jesus, not only to restore life but to transform it.  This can only happen when a person makes a deliberate choice to ‘turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.’  (Ash Wednesday – distribution of the ashes).  Transformation is possible when one is open to receiving God’s life.

This story has a clear link with today’s First Reading from Ezekiel.  God tells the Israelites that ‘you will know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and raise you from your graves and I shall put my spirit in you and you will live.’  God breathing new life into dead bones; Jesus breathing new life into Lazarus; God’s Spirit, the spirit of Jesus, breathing new life into us – into our way of being, thinking and acting.  We trust that God will recreate and renew us in spite of our sinfulness because ‘with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.’  (Responsorial Psalm)

The raising of Lazarus was a physical miracle.  Each of us, during our ordinary, everyday lives, experience death and resurrection many times.  Our resurrection on these occasions is a spiritual one.  This happens when prejudice gives way to acceptance; when selfishness gives way to selflessness; when laziness gives way to action; when doubting gives way to trust and hope; when judgement gives way to compassionate understanding; when falsehood gives way to truth.

When Lazarus emerged from the tomb he was still bound, hands and feet.  Jesus commanded the bystanders to ‘unbind him, let him go free.’  Faith in the power of God to transform us unbinds us and gives us the inner freedom to follow the path Jesus has shown us.  In the same way, when we show compassion and concern for others, we can become instruments by which they become unbound and set free.  As we continue our Lenten journey with Jesus, let us be aware of God’s action in us and the freeing influence we can have on others.