Holy Cross Catholic Church

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Fifth Sunday in Lent - April 3, 2022

Dear friends,

This Sunday’s readings highlight the mercy of God, which is nearer than ever. Let us reflect today on this saying: “So Jesus said to them. ‘Untie him and let him go.’” We all can imagine the power of this command. The truth that comes from a deep observation of our lives is that we are tied in many ropes and chackle of the Evil one who always wants to hold us prisoners of his. Like Lazarus, we are kept hostage of sin and poor choices. Christ comes to free us from all bondage of sin.

The story of Lazarus, in addition to showing the power of Christ over death, reveals to us that nothing is impossible when we rely on Christ. For one, all of us, insofar as we are held hostage of sin, we resemble to Lazarus. We are like dead people who still walk. This brings to mind the movie of the “Walking dead.” As we live and make choices that separate us from Christ, we all look like walking dead who ignore their true fate and identity. It is only when we open our hearts to Christ that we can discover Him as source of freedom and liberty. Freedom from sin and from death, that is consequence of sin. Christ sees our inability to free ourselves and commands those around us to help us get free. If we are freed by Christ, it is so that we may free one another.

Let us take a look on our relationship with one another today. In our families or workplaces, in our development or neighborhoods, where do we see a brother or sister who is still held hostage by some dehumanizing powers ? Do we see a son or daughter of God struggling and shedding tears of hopelessness ? Do we see a friend bending down with the burden of despair and illness… Jesus addresses these words to you today: “Untie him and let him go.” It with you that Christ will resurrect a hopeless brother or sister today, but this will be possible only if we not only profess like Martha as community and individuals through the experience of a personal relationship with saying, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Once we are transformed, we will allow Christ to use us to transform and free others.

How then do we let Christ transform us? By responding to his order to “Come out.” We need to come out of our comfort zones which burry us, sometimes in complaisance and sometimes else in resignation. We seem so used to the situation that we think there is nothing that can be done to change it. The predicament we are in can seem too difficult as to force us to give up, and we say, ‘this is my fate.’ No! Christ is here to free you. It only takes our determination to open our ears to hear him say, “Come out,” and He will pull us out of our mess. We may find ourselves addicted to something that it becomes so difficult for us to come out of the circle: television, alcohol, pornography, gossip, and you name it. Let us not give up. Christ is here to help us. Not only does he have power over all that, but he puts people on our way to help us. We are the ones Christ commissions to untie our brothers and sisters who struggle around us; and this will be even more meaningful and powerful because we ourselves have been freed from it by Christ. Here His command becomes more pressing and appealing: “you have received without cost, go and give without cost,” for I have established you “keeper of your brother or sister.”

As we open our hearts and ears to Christ who frees us from every bondage of sin, let us respond to his call to untie one another from the shackle of hopelessness and despair. Let us come out of our comfort zones to embrace the mercy of God through Christ whom we receive at this table. And let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.

Fr. Emery

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