Background to the Fifth Sunday of Lent:

In the extract from the Prophet Ezekiel, in our first reading, we hear that God will put his spirit in us.

How apt these words are for us at this present time?

After our time of physical isolation, after our time of being away from all the things and people that we are familiar with we will have a greater sense of God’s spirit within us and among us. How reassuring. 

This will be our springtime, our time of awakening to new life in a way that will be new and refreshing. 

Creating a Sacred Space in your home can help focus on the sense of the sacred

•             Use a picture of spring flowers

•             Light a candle.

Gospel: John 11:1-45

Jesus’s raising of Lazarus shows his divine power

“A man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha…… So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was……”

Responsorial: Psalm 129

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ear be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.

Reflection on the Word of God

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, plead with Jesus that their brother is sick and they could easily have used the first verse of today’s psalm:  from the depths of their pain and suffering they cry out to God and ask him to be attentive to their plea for their brother.

It may seem strange to be reading this particular Gospel at this time when we are in the middle of the Covid – 19  pandemic.  People we know are or may be sick.  We ask God to hear our plea on their behalf.

One way of engaging with the Scripture readings offered to us today is to try and imagine if we were Mary or Martha or indeed Lazarus.  How would we feel, what would we really want to say to Jesus about our situation?  What are our fears? 

As we live through this time of anxiety and uncertainty let us remember that Jesus is there to listen to us and wants us to live our life to the full now.

A Prayer in Time of Corona-Virus

Almighty and All–loving God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we pray to you through Christ the Healer
for those who suffer from the Coronavirus Covid–19
in Ireland and across the world.

We pray too for all who reach out to those who mourn the loss
of each and every person who has died as a result of contracting the disease.

Give wisdom to policymakers,
skill to healthcare professionals and researchers,
comfort to everyone in distress
and a sense of calm to us all in these days of uncertainty and distress.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
who showed compassion to the outcast,
acceptance to the rejected
and love to those to whom no love was shown.

Amen.

Archbishop Michael Jackson

Pray the Rosary and Especially The First Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation

The Archangel Gabriel “announces” to Mary that she shall conceive the
Son of God

Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

The Annunciation: The Archangel Gabriel "announces" to Mary that she shall conceive the Son of God.

The Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

The Nativity: Jesus is born

The Presentation: Mary and Joseph "present" Jesus in the Temple where they meet Simeon.

The Finding in the Temple: After losing Him, Mary and Joseph find young Jesus teaching the Rabbis in the Temple.

Please find a link below to Magherafelt Parish’s resources on ‘The Rosary’

https://magherafeltparish.org/prayer-resources/praying-the-rosary

Think of one of the front line workers in the essential shops who are serving us right now.   What do you imagine is their greatest fear right now?

The next time you go shopping try to find an opportunity to show them your appreciation for what they are doing for you, for us right now.