POINTS TO PONDER
Set against the backdrop of Jesus’ impending Death, many elements of the raising of Lazarus foreshadow the good news of Jesus’ own Resurrection. Jesus, facing the conflict with the Jewish authorities, acts in complete obedience to God. In raising Lazarus, Jesus shows his power over death so that when Jesus dies, those who believe in him might remember that and take hope. Just as Jesus calls for the stone to be rolled away from Lazarus’s tomb, so too will the disciples find the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. Likewise, each of us, as a result of our Baptism, can recognise how Jesus has rolled away the stones of our own tombs and called us to new life. We, in turn, are sent forth to bring hope of new life to others who are entombed by suffering, despair, and injustice.
Who are some of the people/groups of people in society today who are ‘entombed’ by suffering, despair, and injustice? How can we bring hope and new life to those who are ‘entombed’ by these realities? When was a time that someone brought hope and new life to you? What are some of the ‘stones’ that need to be ‘rolled away’ in our society so that people may truly be free from injustice?
Joe Paprocki
catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com Intercom Mar 2026
