New Life....

New Life....

On the fifth Sunday of Lent in Year A, the central theme is new life. In the first reading, Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones reveals God’s power to transform the Israelites' defeat and destruction into an occasion of renewal and restoration. It also gives hope to the people of the Israelites who died before the new exodus. The Church Fathers saw Ezekiel’s vision, in which the bones coming to life and being covered with flesh could also point to the new life in Christ and the resurrection on the last day.

In the Gospel, the revival of Lazarus is a sign anticipating the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus cries at the tomb of Lazarus. When confronted with death, Jesus reacted the same way you and I react. He cried. Christ does not diminish reality. Then he called Lazarus out of the grave. He did this because he wanted us to know that he was the Lord of Life. In the light of Ezekiel, the raising of Lazarus demonstrates that Jesus is the Lord, as He can raise Israelites from their graves. Similar miracles are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, such as the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-43) and the raising of the widow’s son from Nain (Luke 7:11-17). In the raising of Lazarus, Christ demonstrated not only that He has the power to raise the dead to life but also that He is the Resurrection and the Life.

The Mass: We completed the Introductory Rite and proceeded to the Liturgy of the Word, also known as storytelling. When we gather at a friend’s home for a meal, we always begin with conversation, telling our stories. At Mass, after the rites of gathering (introductory rites), we sit down and listen as readings from the Word of God are proclaimed. They are the stories of God’s people.

Before the Vatican Council II, the cycle was one year, meaning we heard the same reading every year. The Vatican Council II decided to have a three-year cycle. On Sundays, there are three readings and a psalm. Over the course of a three-year cycle, we cover the entire Bible. “…the word of God unceasingly calls to mind and extends the economy of salvation, which achieves its fullest expression in the Liturgy” (Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass).

Liturgy of the Word of God includes the First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel, Homily, Creed, and Prayers of the Faithful. Most of the time, the first reading will be from the Old Testament and will have a direct connection to the  Gospel. During the Easter season, the first reading will be from the Acts of the Apostles. Then, a passage from Psalm, which encouraged to be chanted/sung. The second reading is from one of the writings of the Apostles; most of the time, it comes from the writings of Paul. Then, the Gospel, which means Good News. We read the first year (A) from the Gospel of Matthew, the second year (B) from the Gospel of Mark, and the third year (C) from the Gospel of Luke. We hear from the Gospel of John every single year, especially during the Lent and Easter seasons.

During Mass, we use different postures at different times, and each posture has its meaning. In the Old Testament time, Jews gathered in the Synagogue on Sabbath; they sat and listened to the reading. Jesus went to the Synagogue on the Sabbath. In the Gospel of Luke 4:16-21, we see Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, reading from the book of Isaiah. Luke says, he stood up and read. After the reading, Jesus did the shortest homily; he said, “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” We are seated during the first reading, the responsorial Psalm, and the second reading. For the Gospel, we all stand, Gospel acclamation is sung; if the Deacon is present, the priest blesses the deacon; if the deacon is not present, the priest says a prayer and prepares himself to read the Gospel. Roman Missal says, “The reading of the Gospel constitutes the high point of the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy itself teaches the great reverence that is to be shown to this reading by setting it off from the other readings with special marks of honor, by the fact of which minister is appointed to proclaim it, and by the blessing or prayer with which he prepares himself; and also by the fact that through their acclamations the faithful acknowledge and  confess that Christ is present and is speaking to them and stand as they listen to the reading; and by the mere fact of the marks of reverence that are given to the Book of the Gospels” (paragraph 60). Reading the Gospel is the high point of reading. There could be incense used, candles carried, and the Gospel carried in procession. At the end of the Gospel, the priest/deacon may kiss the Gospel and quietly say, “Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away.” Homily follows. Roman Missal says, “...On Sundays and holidays of Obligation, there is to be a Homily at every Mass that is celebrated with the people attending, and it may not be omitted Roman Missal, The Order of Mass, no. 17. 1 1 without a grave reason…” (65). After the homily, the Creed. It could be called Symbol (from Greek, which means summary), the Profession of Faith (believers profess it), or Creed (from Latin, Credo). We bow when we say, “by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man…” It is a summary of our faith. The final part of the Liturgy of the Word is Prayers of the Faithful or Universal Prayer. In this, we pray for the Universal Church, authorities, and salvation of the world, for those who are burdened, and for the local community. After the prayers of the Faithful, we begin the Liturgy of the Eucharist.