March 22, 2026
5th Sunday
Lent
FOCUS: Those who have the Spirit of Christ belong to him and will share his resurrection.
Today’s Gospel is not just about the resurrection of Lazarus. It is also about ours. Because the Spirit lives in us, death has no power over us. We, too, will share Christ’s resurrection. May this hope inspire and guide us through these final days of Lent.
What's in Your Heart
Belief is a life-and-death issue for Jesus.
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How do I see faith as life-giving, for myself and others?
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What do I really believe about death? Does that make a difference in how I live my life?
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Jesus shows a lot of emotion in this gospel: He weeps; he gets perturbed. How do his feelings affect me? What does he do with his intense feelings? What do I usually do with mine?
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Whose death caused me the most sorrow? What more can I do in my life to honor that person?
Homily Stories
I frequently dog-sit an elderly black Cairn Terrier named Toby. He weighs barely 12 pounds, yet carries himself with the confidence of something much larger. No one knows exactly how old he is, or where he came from before he was rescued 12 years ago. What is unmistakable is this: He loves his people fiercely, and they adore him right back.
When they leave, Toby is forlorn. I dote on him without restraint—frequent walks, extra treats, long snuggles on the couch—and he receives it all gladly. But one afternoon I found him on the bedroom floor with his head buried in a pile of their clothes, breathing them in. I often marvel at the emotional capacity of animals—who could find the smell of sweaty t-shirts and dirty socks consoling.
The last time I left, his family texted to say that Toby was truly distressed—moving from room to room, searching for me everywhere. I asked them to tell him that I was OK, that I would return.
It struck me how much of life is shaped by this rhythm: presence and absence, separation and reunion. Maybe faith is learning to trust that the ones we love—and the God who loves us—are not gone forever, even when they are gone for now. That what we experience as loss is sometimes only the space love must cross before it finds us again.
