Fifth Sunday of Lent March 22, 2026

Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14 Romans: 8:8-11 John 11:1-45

When we hear the first reading, from the Prophet Ezekiel, we can at first wonder if this is just some sort of hope for the future or is it really a prophecy. Resurrection from the dead is generally not a part of the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures. On the other hand, when we find passages such as this one, we can see how easy it was for some to begin to think about what happens after this life.

One of the challenges in the Gospel today is that Lazarus is brought back to life but will have to die again. There is no promise here at all a lasting resurrection, but simply a returning to life after dying. Lazarus is not raised in the heavenly body that will be his when he dies into the Kingdom.

St. Paul says, when we live in the flesh, we allow our desires, our wants and our attractions to determine how we live, without examining them very much at all. When we live in the spirit, we have the same desires, wants and attractions as before but we look at them from the perspective of our life in Christ and choose that which helps us live more profoundly in Christ.