How fitting that the Gospel this weekend comes precisely while we are entombing ourselves – not as an act of burial, but as an act of love so that we might slow down the spread of the covid-19 virus and help save the lives of those most susceptible to becoming seriously ill. And since I was scheduled to preach this weekend, perhaps you will allow me a slightly longer ‘pandemering’ today (or a shorter homily if you prefer).
The Gospel today got me to thinking about the many tombs we have in our life. For some of us, it may be a tomb of a destructive pattern in our lives: an unhealthy habit that burdens us; a way of relating that alienates us from others; an addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, smoking, or constant affirmation. We may fear that it is too late to get out of this tomb, that we are hopelessly caught in that unhealthy or destructive pattern.
For others, it may be a tomb of negativity. We may find it difficult to see ourselves and our lives as having meaning and purpose. Perhaps experiences of failure and disappointment, or the lack of appreciation and encouragement from others, have reinforced in us feelings of inadequacy or failure.
For most of us in these days of quarantine and isolation, I suspect we find ourselves in a tomb of worry and anxiety. This can be the worst tomb of all – we worry about how this covid-19 thing will all unfold. We worry about pressing responsibilities in our lives – schooling, concerns about job and career, family challenges. We worry if we or our loved ones might get sick. We find ourselves being trapped in worrying about matters over which we have absolutely no control. We can’t see the future, and we fear the potential outcomes. That kind of anxiety can leave us not only feeling trapped in a darkened and sealed-off tomb, but also bound hand and foot like Lazarus.
The message from today’s gospel is that Jesus can release us, set us free, from much of those worries and anxieties. It is as if Jesus stands there before us in abiding compassion, and says “Take away that stone of anxiety, fear or despair, that keeps you within your tomb, and allow me to offer you freedom and new life.” He is the one who comes to us in these challenging present times, with the same depth of concern and compassion he had for his friend Lazarus, to call us out of whatever tomb we may be living in at this moment. But to hear God’s voice speaking to us, first we must listen.
Our time of social distancing and quarantine can become for us a time of greater connection, not only with family as we shelter together, but with God. Take time each day to sit in the presence of the Lord and listen to God. (There are some suggestions of how to do this here). As you pray for our world, ask God to release you from the fear and anxiety that can trap you – to raise you up, as he raised his friend Lazarus.