Reflection of Father Moreno's Homily: April 10, 2011

As we come to the end of Lent and prepare for Holy Week, let us ask for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

These are the most startling words in the Bible . . . And Jesus wept, He wept for his friend Lazarus.

At the Mount of Olives Jesus weeps, He weeps over Jerusalem. He weeps because it is His Hour now.

 
Jesus is glorified by raising Lazarus from the dead . . . enter the dark night of the soul . . . enter the tomb.  He weeps for Lazarus his friend whom he loved.

He loves his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  They extend hospitality and He enters into their home and into their heart, they invite Him into their home and into their heart. We must extend our hospitality and invite Jesus to enter into our homes and into our hearts.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus walked in The Light, while the Pharisees were in darkness because they rejected His Friendship, they killed Him and they lived in darkness.

We choose light or darkness, being friends of Jesus or enemies of Jesus. Where our heart is, there is our treasure.

As we prepare for Holy Week, may our prayer this week be: Jesus, befriend me, make me Your friend.

We can come to a friend at all times. Lazarus, Mary and Martha are loved by Jesus because they were his friends. We are loved by Jesus because we are his friends.

Come Holy Spirit, come upon us and anoint us.

Jesus weeps for Lazarus as he enters the darkness of death.
Jesus weeps for us that we may enter the hope in the resurrection. Jesus says, “I am the Resurrection and the Light.” Do you believe?

He comes to our tomb and stays with us in the darkness, death is a sleep. We are people of hope.

Just as Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!” Let us insert our name instead of Lazarus and Jesus says to each one of us and calls us by name to come out. Hear the voice of Jesus say, “Come to Me and I will give you rest and have an abundance of life you who are hunger, thirsty, lonely.”

If we are dead in our spiritual life we stink, our sins stink. 

Unbind in the Name of Jesus those we are dead, bring back to life those bound in sin through the Gift of Reconciliation – Confession, when the priest says, “I absolve your sins”.
These are the most soothing and comforting words that unbinds us, that releases us and unbound we come to life in Jesus Christ who is The Resurrection and The Light.

Do you believe? That Jesus came to unbind us and heal us.
Let us continue to pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit as we prepare to enter Holy Week.