THE  GOSPEL 

ACCORDING  TO  LAZARUS 

[The following short document was found in a stone pottery jar – which was in a large stone burial box – wrapped in cloth and wax – in what was an ancient burial spot – just some 10 miles outside of Jerusalem. The document does not begin with “The Gospel According to Lazarus”  - but scholars and scientists who studied it  - determined that it might have been written by either the Lazarus in the Gospel of John or by an eye witness who sat down and talked with Lazarus – maybe a scribe – and wrote down his story. Hence the title: The Gospel According to Lazarus. The following is an English translation of the document which was written in ancient Aramaic – the language used by Jesus and native Jewish people in that place and time in Israel.]

Jesus was my friend. He loved to come to our house to see my two sisters and me. 

Better he mainly talked with my sister Mary and me – because Martha was always in the kitchen cooking – which she loved to do – but then she would complain that Mary never helped her cook or clean.

We would sit outside – in the back – under some wonderful trees our grandfather had planted years and years ago. It can be hot in Judea – a good bit of the year – especially in the summer.

Martha would serve us as Jesus would tell us what he was doing – where he had been – and what he saw happening next.

He said he was fearful of the Scribes and the Pharisees wanting to see him killed – and now the high priests in Jerusalem – seemed to be in on wanting him out of the way as well.

Mary and I often said after he left – while Martha was cleaning and doing this and that – and complaining we were doing nothing but sitting around – that it was good that we were here – that Jesus had a place of peace – to relax and unwind – here in down south Palestine.

Then I got sick…. which put Martha into a panic – because she could do nothing about it – other than bring in a dozen doctors. Nothing worked. I appreciated her trying everything – but what really helped was Mary just sitting there – being with me till the end.  I think she chose the better part – but I didn’t tell Martha that.  I learned that people are people and once they hit 35 or so - they are the way they are – and that’s the way they always are.

Anyway I was hoping Jesus would come down to see us before I died. In fact, my sisters sent messages to Jesus that I was dying – but he didn’t come.

I died.

I was buried.

I was in the dark – but kept seeing light – off in the distance.

“Is this heaven? Is that the Life and Light after death that Jesus talked about? Is that where the Father – God our Father – is?”

These were my thoughts. Obviously, I was in unfamiliar territory.

I didn’t know.

I was in the dark.

Then I heard Jesus’ voice calling me, “Lazarus, come out!”

I hesitated – even though – it was Jesus’ voice – which I was quite familiar with.

Do I risk going back to everyday life on earth – or do I risk going forward to God our Father – the Father that Jesus was always talking about?

I knew faith is a risk – because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring – yet isn’t every night a going into the dark of sleep – with the hope of waking up in the morning – waking up to the light of a new day?

I hesitated.

Do I take that risk of faith and wake up from death and go towards the voice of Jesus – which I knew was his – from all the times we talked in our backyard?

I heard his strong voice again. “Lazarus, come out!”

So I took the risk – based on my faith in Jesus – and started walking towards the voice.

I was wrapped in burial cloths and I could smell me – and the stink of death all around me – but I kept walking.

As I sensed I was out of my cave tomb, I felt the warm light of day. I then heard Jesus saying, “Untie him and let him go.”

Martha was the first one who got to me. When she uncovered my eyes, I could see Jesus standing there – with Mary right next to him. Martha hurriedly started unwrapping the rest of me.

At that I could hear Martha’s mind saying as she saw Mary just standing there, “Jesus Christ, tell her to help me!”

Well, we all marched back to our house. You should have seen the crowds on both sides of the road – cheering Jesus on – and looking at me in shock. I guess they never saw a dead man who came back from the dead before.

The first thing I did was take a great bath. The first thing my sister Martha did – obviously – was organize a big meal – a big celebration – for my return – my resurrection.  And Jesus sat there – with Mary next to him on his left – and I was on his right.

Later on I heard that James and John were jealous about that – but they got over it.

A short time after that – Jesus’ enemies arrested him. His disciple, Judas, had betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver.

Jesus died on a cross the next day – and like me – was buried in a cave.

I knew that was not the end of the story. I was there. I made that act of faith that death is not the end.

Then when I heard the story that went around that Jesus rose from the dead 3 days later I laughed. He beat me by 1 day.

Next time I see him, next time I die, next time I hear Jesus say after I die the second time, and I hear a second time, “Lazarus come out!”  - we’ll talk about all this. And if Mary dies ahead of me – I’m sure she’ll be at his side. And if Martha dies ahead of me, I’m sure she’ll be in the kitchen of heaven – cooking up a storm – barking out orders – and complaining about all those who are like Mary and me – folks and friends of Jesus – who simply like to sit and enjoy his presence.

How do I know all this? By faith – of course. It’s a risk saying all this – but what is faith – a risk of course. 



                                                                             © Andy Costello, Reflections  2014

RESURRECTION

Poem for Today - April 6, 2014

EPITAPH FOR A MEAT-PACKER

Here my meat is, clean and dressed,
Newly packaged and expressed;
On the day I'm resurrected,
Angels, stamp me God-Inspected.

(c) Guy Owen

WOMAN CAVE

Poem for Today - April 5, 2014

DAYSTAR

She wanted a little room for thinking:
but she saw diapers  steaming on the line,
a doll slumped behind the door.

So she lugged a chair behind the garage
to sit out the children's naps.

Sometimes there were things to watch -
the pinched armor of a vanished cricket,
a floating maple leaf. Other days
she stared until she was assured
when she closed her eyes
she'd see only her own vivid blood.

She had an hour, at best, before Liza appeared
pouting from the top of the stairs.
And just what was mother doing
out back with the field mouse? Why,

building a palace. Later
that night when Thomas rolled over and
lurched into her, she would open hers
for an hour - where
she was nothing,
pure nothing, in the middle of the day.

                                                                                              ©  Rita Dove

OBNOXIOUS

INTRODUCTION

The  title  of  my homily is, “Obnoxious.”

That’s the English translation of the Greek word in Wisdom 2:12 – today’s first reading.  This text is not in the Hebrew Bible.

The New English Bible translates it this way: “he stands in our way.”

I read today’s text – Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22 a few times and what I hear is that someone is being obnoxious – standing in the way – blocking movement – stopping progress – being a problem.

We know the feeling. We call such a person a pain – or a PITA – or a drain.

And the reaction is to want  that person to disappear, to  get rid of the person.

This happens in life and therefore in the scriptures all the time.

Here in the Book of Wisdom and in today’s gospel from John, I assume those who chose the readings – are moving us towards the end of Lent – bringing us to Holy Week – Good Friday – getting us to see motives why they wanted Jesus is killed on the cross.

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO GET IN THE WAY

I assume there are 2 kinds of people who are obnoxious: those who are prophetic – those who challenge us – when we are in the wrong, when we are selfish or what have you; and those who are obnoxious in the negative sense.

We know those who are obnoxious in the negative sense: those who park horribly, those who bark at us, those who burp – those who dress terribly or those who are always messing up our plans.

What about those who are obnoxious because they speak the truth.  They might not   say it in the right way – but they speak the truth – and sometimes even though it will set us free – the other speaks with sandpaper and rub us the wrong way.

A question: has anyone ever challenged us  - and we got angry or frustrated with them – but down deep they were right – or in time we found out they were right. We still wanted to kill them.

That’s Jesus at times. That’s the prophet in the Old Testament at times. That’s what today’s text from Wisdom is getting at.

So in life – maybe it was a teacher or a parent or a friend – who told us we were hanging out with the wrong crowd – or dating the wrong person – or going in the wrong direction – not studying – not working – wasting our time or what have you.

Thank God for them. If they are still alive – maybe give them a call – and say, “Thank you!” If they are dead, thank them in prayer.

Then there are the pains – who drain us.

How do we deal with them?  I have a whole book on all this, How To Deal With Difficult  People.  It sold about 60,000 copies, but let me tell you, I still don’t know how to deal with difficult people.

DYSFUNTIONAL PEOPLE

The literature on dysfunctional people tells us that 1% of the people in our daily circles sometimes take 99% of our energy.

I was talking to some high school principals last night and one of them said exactly that: one person can take up 90 percent of one’s time. Ugh.

We’ve all heard about high maintenance people.

There are the letter writers – the complainers – the nudges – the needy – the drainers.

OUR RESPONSE

As Christians I think  Jesus had some of this in mind when he came up with his stuff on turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, as a way of changing – and perhaps challenging another person. Instead they get rejected – avoided – most of the time.

It’s been my experience – and I know I’ve said this a dozen times – the odd person gets avoided – because he is odd – and he becomes odder – and is then rejected even more – and on and on and on. I learned that from living with odd priests.

A lady just said to me recently, “You have no idea what it’s like to live with a man.”

And I said, “Hello! I live with 10 other men – and all my life as a Redemptorist  I’ve lived with a great cast of characters – and they lived and had to put up with me.

I’ve often wondered: obnoxious people have to come to Mass. Are there any here this morning? As soon as I say that I hear myself taking the voice of Jesus when he announced someone was about  to betray him: “Is it I, Lord” – as just said it at the Last supper.

CONCLUSION

I know the old saying, “Timing is everything.” 

Most of the time – when it comes to obnoxious people – we don’t say anything to the person who drives us crazy – but we spend a lot of energy complaining about the person.

So sometimes the best resource is to simply hide – run – avoid – to recover one’s energy. But sometimes the right thing is to challenge each other – with love in the background, Amen. Amen. 

DIFFERENT STAMMERS,

DIFFERENT SOUNDS,

DIFFERENT DIALECTS

Poem for Today - April 4, 2014

STAMMER

Stammer is no handicap.
It is a mode of speech.

Stammer is the silence that falls
between the word and its meaning,
just as lameness is the
silence that falls between
the word and the deed.

Did stammer precede language
or succeed it?
It is only a dialect or a
language itself? These questions
make the linguists stammer.

When a whole people stammer,
stammer becomes their mothertongue:
as it is with us now.

God too must have stammered
when He created Man.
That is why all the words of man
carry different meanings.
That is why everything he utters
from his prayers to his commands
stammers,
like poetry.

(c) K. Satchidanandan

Translated from the

Malayalam by the author

DREAMS AND DESIRES

Poem for Today - April 3, 2014

DREAM OF KNIVES

for Ric de Ungria

Last night I dreamt of a knife
I had bought for my son. Of rare dagger
with fancily rounded pommel, and a wooden sheath
which miraculously revealed other, miniature blades.

Oh how pleased he would be upon my return
from this journey, I thought. What rapture
will surely adorn his ten-year princeling's face
when he draws the gift for the first time. What quivering
pleasure will most certainly be unleashed.

When I awoke, there was no return, no journey,
no gift, and no son beside me. Where do I search
for this knife then, and when do I begin to draw
happiness from reality? And why do I bleed so 
from such sharp points of dreams.

Alfred A.Yuson

from Dream of Knives

 and Mothers Like Elephants 

Selected Poems and New 

(Anvil Publishing)

 Copyright (c) 1986, 

by Alfred A. Yuson

WHAT  DOES  REDEMPTION 

SOUND AND  LOOK LIKE? 

Today’s readings help us to understand what  Redemption – Salvation – Being Saved  - Being with God – Being in Christ - sounds and feels like.

This is a very easy homily. I am simply going to repeat today’s 2 Readings and the Psalm in light of my question: “What Does Redemption Sound and Look Like?”

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 49 gives great images to help us get our hands and our minds on what Redemption sounds and looks like.

It’s like feeling one is a prisoner and one hears the words, “Come out!”

It’s like feeling one is in the dark, and one hears the voice, “Show yourself. You no longer need to hide in the dark.”

It’s like feeling you’re a hungry sheep and the Lord will lead you to pastures.

It’s like feeling thirsty and the Lord leads you to wonderful  springs of water.

It’s like being out on the road in windy weather or scorching heat and the Lord  gives you protection from both.

It’s like having to climb a mountain to get to the other side and the Lord cuts a road straight through the mountain for you.

It’s like being on a bumpy or pothole road and the Lord makes the highway smooth as possible.

It’s like feeling all alone and people come from all over to be with you.

It’s like feeling down and out and you start to sing and feel like you have an in.

It’s like being uncomfortable and the Lord comforts you.

It’s like feeling you’re a motherless child and you hear the Lord said, “I won’t forget you – even if a mother forgets you – I won’t forget you.

Today’s Psalm 145 continues telling us what Redemption is like.

If you think the Lord is angry with you,  you got it wrong:

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

If you think the Lord has disappeared, let me tell you:

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

If you think the Lord is unjust remember:

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

Today’s gospel from John 5 also tells us what Redemption looks like.

Jesus and his Father are forever working in our behalf.

If you want to know how the Father sees and thinks, see how the Son sees and thinks. The Son shows us what the Father is like and he does the works of his Father – in fact the Father will do even greater works than the Son.

If you’re worried about death,  realize that the Son raises the dead and gives them life.

If you’re worried about judgment, realize that the Father doesn’t judge, He leaves that to the Son. So study the scriptures and the stories about Jesus – and then you’ll know he doesn’t throw rocks – he won't refuse you even in the last hour – rather he'll welcome you home like a lost sheep, found coin, or lost son.

And if you miss your dead – and worry about what happened to them, be at peace, because Jesus is in graveyards, amongst the tombstones, calling the dead into Risen Life.

Amen.