Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But 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. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus I believe in you. I believe that you see me and hear me, and that you want to spend this time with me. You have not left me alone, but are with me. I need to my faith so that I can see your hand directing my life and giving me the courage to trust you completely. My life is in your hands.

Petition: Lord Jesus, increase my hope in your love and your power to help me to fulfill my mission on earth and to reach you in heaven.

1. This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory. In this Gospel passage we see a very human side of Jesus. He is true God and true Man; he loves with a human heart and we see this love revealed in his relationship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

What are the signs of his love? When Mary and Martha send their message to Jesus they tell him that the one he loves is ill. When he informs the disciples that he is going, they try to dissuade him by reminding him of the dangers of going to Jerusalem. Yet he goes. When Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping over the loss of her brother, he was deeply moved. Jesus himself began to weep, prompting those around him to comment on how much he loved Lazarus.

This passage reveals Christ's heart. The love he had for Lazarus, he also has for us. We need to reflect on this deeply, because our understanding of this love is the motor of our spiritual life. Ask him for the grace to experience his personal love for you.

When we know he loves us, it helps us through those difficult moments in life, those difficult decisions. In the passage, Jesus allowed his friend Lazarus to die, and for a time those he loved suffered from the loss. He did so only for a greater good. What difficulties am I facing that I should speak with Christ about?

2. I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus does not simply have life, he is life. It was sin that brought death into the world. Sin is the greatest evil in the world, since it deprives us not only of our present peace but also our eternal happiness. It separates us from God.

Jesus' love is effective, because it carries within it the divine power of almighty God. He can give life to whomever he chooses, and he chose to give us eternal life through his own death on the cross. He wanted to manifest his love for us in an unforgettable way. There is no greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. The resurrection of Lazarus anticipates the new life that flows from Christ's own passion and death. He freely offered his life on the cross to free us from our sin. This was the depth of his love.

Our recognition of his love should give us the confidence to trust him. I can trust him with my life and place my future into his hands because he loves me and only wills my perfect happiness. Am I able to place myself whole heartedly in his hands and grow in my faith in his love?

3. Unbind him, and let him go. Jesus said that whoever sins, is a slave of sin (John 8:34). So many are the temptations of the world that often it is difficult to persevere in virtue. The more we give in to sin, the less free we are to love God and others. Our happiness is found in love; selfishness brings loneliness and misery. It is not a matter of doing what feels good, but of doing what is actually good in God's eyes. I need his perspective. How does he want me to live my life?

Jesus wants to free us from enslavement to sin. He gives us the grace to do what he wills for us. It is only a question of using the means he gives through prayer and the sacraments to recognize and respond to his will.

Jesus has the power to raise Lazarus from the tomb. He had been dead four days, but he was still able to call him back from the dead. Jesus has the power to do what he wants to do in my life. I just need to surrender my will and trust him.

Conversation: Lord, I thank you for this passage that shows me the depth of your love. Help me to trust in your love and entrust my life into your hands. I want to love you so much that I can't help but serve you. I see how much you gave me on the cross and I want to correspond to your love. The adequate response to love is love.

Questionnaire:

1. Are there things that I'm afraid of in my relationship with God? Do I fear what he may ask of me? Do I speak to him about these things?

2. Do I get discouraged in my battle with sin? Am I using all the means Christ makes available to live a holy life? What can I do better on this week to live a holy life and battle discouragement?

3. How often to I reflect on Christ's love for me? As I contemplate on what he has done for me, what am I ready to do for him?