In the desert of Lent, we fast from food but feast on the Word of God. The ancient practice of lectio divina, or sacred reading, invites us to chew on the words of Scripture and savor them.
John’s Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent exalts Jesus, who has power over life and death. Earlier, the disciples had already witnessed his dominion over nature, as when he calmed the storm on the sea and healed the sick. Yet his divinity does not overshadow his humanity. The shortest verse in the Bible, “And Jesus wept,” eloquently proves this.
Thomas appears in this passage full of doubt. He is on a journey toward faith, from witnessing the raising of the dead Lazarus to life to putting his hand into the side of the risen Christ at the end of the Gospel. Let us ask the Lord for the gift of faith as we journey toward Easter.
Dear GMC, Thank you for your healing images and words. We need courageous people like you to image us at our best especially in these times.
Because of Lazarus’s having been raised from the dead, many came to believe in Christ, How can I be a Lazarus, giving a sense of renewal to others? May my life show others the goodness of God.