Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year A - Sunday, March 22, 2026 (EPISODE: 576)​

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year A - Sunday, March 22, 2026 (EPISODE: 576)

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year A - Sunday, March 22, 2026
(EPISODE: 576)

Readings for 5th Sunday of Lent A

 FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:12-14
  Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8. "With the Lord, there is mercy and fullness  of redemption."
  SECOND READING: Romans 8:8-11
  GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 11:25a+26). Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus  Christ! I am the Resurrection and the life, says the Lord. Whoever believes in me will not die forever.
  GOSPEL: John 11:1-45 - Raising Lazarus

 

Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 85594159 - Milan - the resurrection of Lazarus from San Giorgio church - Photo Contributor: Renata Sedmakova

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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year A  - Sunday, March 22, 2026, by clicking this link here https://on.soundcloud.com/6OaQPn4Et9lG4nxeHs   (EPISODE: 576)
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I am the resurrection, says the Lord in today's wonderful gospel. This is such a beautiful and important scripture. Our Lord assures us that he has the power and the intention to raise us to eternal life, to call us out of the grave and into the new life of the kingdom.

This powerful scene today, in which Jesus raises his friend Lazarus, shows us so many things. He feels deeply for us in our loss, even at the same time, he is certain that he will call us into eternal life, but he still shares with us the pain of loss. He also reminds us that, as well as the promise of bodily resurrection on the last day, we can meanwhile get caught in many symbolic tombs during our lives.

We can get stuck in the darkness of attitudes, actions and thoughts that are not life-giving. We can get bound up in the cares and ambitions that wrap us in things of death rather than of new life. Our Lord has the power to call us out of the tombs and darkness and enmeshment of this life, as well as the ultimate call to eternal life.

Let us trust in his promise and follow Christ into the light of his new life for us. 

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This incident of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is so powerful, and it's a foretaste of Christ's own resurrection, which brings salvation and resurrection to all people.

The following is a couple of sections from the poem entitled Lazarus, written by Dan Doyle. If only his friend had been here, he would not have died, we say to one another. If only, if only, is our desperate prayer.

Rabbi, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Martha, he will rise again. Yes, I know this, Rabbi, at the resurrection.

I am the one who raises the dead. Do you believe me, Martha? Yes, Master, oh yes, I believe. I know you, and with all my heart, I believe in you.

Then Jesus wept. In the days that followed, we talked excitedly about this miracle that we had all been witness to, and still many could not believe in their weary and frightened hearts that this son of an old carpenter from Nazareth, this wandering rabbi Jesus, might be the one we had been waiting for since the time of Moses and the prophets. But some of us knew that this Jesus, who had come so gently, yet so powerfully among us, was indeed the Messiah of God, and we began to tell everyone we met what we had seen him do for Lazarus, our friend.

Lazarus lived on for many years, and never tired of telling the story, in hushed and awe-filled tones, and we never tired of listening. Lazarus was a man of gentle knowledge, of abiding faith, and of quiet strength. He told us over and over again that we were loved by one who knows our hearts, and who despises not our petitions, and that we would never be alone.

We began going to the synagogue differently. We listened to the words of the, and we were moved in our hearts and minds. At long last, Lazarus died, and we wept for sorrow again.

But we knew in our depths that he was not dead, that the resurrection promised by the prophets is real, that death no longer holds sway over our simple lives, and that we will see each other again in the world to come. Amen. Isn't that beautiful? It captures so much of the mystery of this extraordinary event.

Jesus said a lot of words to people in his ministry, words perfectly formed and completely based on truth, the truth of him, and backed up by action. Sometimes what he said really challenged the faith of those with him. Other times, it healed and uplifted people, forgave and included people in a way they could never have imagined.

In today's gospel, Jesus tells them that God has the final say on suffering and death. Christ is powerfully showing that God cares very much. He does love us deeply.

It profoundly matters when people suffer, grieve and die. It matters greatly to God, whose heart reaches out for us when people feel trapped by their past sins or mistakes. He cries with us.

He cries not because he feels helpless and can do nothing, he can do so much. He cries in union with us, because he feels with us, and he experiences along with us. He sighs from the heart for us, and he speaks words of change.

Words like, Be healed. You are forgiven. You are freed.

I am the resurrection and the life. Some other very special words have a powerful effect because they are so intimately connected with Christ's life, attitudes and actions. His message and the perfectly consistent qualities about himself are a perfect union.

These words are powerful, for the spirit hovering over them fills them with resonance and effectiveness. Words such as, Your sins are forgiven. Your debt is cancelled.

Be opened. Be freed from your burdens. Pick up your mat and walk.

Unbind him. Set him free. Give him something to eat.

Give them something to eat yourselves. This is my body broken for you. This is my blood poured out for you.

I can give you living water welling up inside you. I love all these words and so many more, and I know you do too. They all fill us with hope, but more than that, they immediately begin achieving what they say.

It's no wonder that the Church believes so powerfully in the reality of the sacraments, in which we can touch, taste, smell, see and hear the power of Christ working through them. Surely it's only divine love that can truly fill us with the fullness of life again and raise us up to life eternal. Drawn near.

Embraced. Healed. Forgiven.

Included. And always loved.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Doyle, D. (2020). This Poem Gives Such A Great Perspective On How Powerful and Yet Tender Our Lord Is! [online] FaithHub. Available at: https://faithhub.net/dan-doyle-lazarus-poem/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: 85594159 - Milan - the resurrection of Lazarus from San Giorgio church - Photo Contributor: Renata Sedmakova

 

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Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year A  (Sunday, March 22, 2026)  (EPISODE: 576)

 

The Lord be with you.

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{{May Our Lord's courage uphold you.}} Welcome everyone, we gather - Praise and Worship of our God.

 

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy

You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy

You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: Lord, have mercy.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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Memorial Acclamation

1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

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Ps 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6. "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy."

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Joel 2:12-13). Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless Glory. With all your heart, turn to me. For I am tender and compassionate.

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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary II

Euch Prayer One

Communion side. pwk: LH

(theme variation: )

 

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{Thank you for giving generously of your time and prayer.}

 

Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)

 

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

 

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

 

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

 

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

 

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

 

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

 

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

 

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

 

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

 

"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

 

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy" inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

 

Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: - Sennheiser MK4 Cardioid Condenser; and Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.

 

Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software

 

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44

 

Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor

 

 

[ Production - KER - 2026]

May God bless and keep you.