Fifth Sunday of Lent A

The following are prayerful resources rather than a liturgy.

  • The gospel for the day
    (a useful commentary on the reading         here)
  • Some optional questions for reflection
  • Prayers of Intercession
  • Cluster Prayer
  • The gospel of the week ahead with questions

John 11: 1-45      I am the resurrection and the life.

 

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany

with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill.

It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus,

who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair.

The sisters sent this message to Jesus,

‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’

On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples,

‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’

Jesus replied:
‘Are there not twelve hours in the day?
A man can walk in the daytime without stumbling
because he has the light of this world to see by;
but if he walks at night he stumbles,
because there is no light to guide him.’

He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’

The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’

The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly,

‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there

because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’


On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already.

Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother.

When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him.

Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus,

‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died,

but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’

‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’

Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’

Jesus said:
‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice,

‘The Master is here and wants to see you.’

Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him.

When the Jews who were in the house sympathising with Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.


Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying,

‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’

At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her,

Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart,

‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’

Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’

But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening.

Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’

Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’

Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:
‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.
I knew indeed that you always hear me,
but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me,
so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’

The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Copyright © 1996-2021 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.

Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). All rights reserved.


Having used our prayer resources, you might want simply to reflect yourself on them and how that might flow into your coming week. Some people have found it very helpful to meet with others and share their thoughts.
If you are interested  in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word from any of the resources you have watched please email us.         cluster.alpha@outlook.com


Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)

Martha and Mary are so typical of us - blaming God for not keeping to "our schedule", "our plans".

Yet the sisters never doubted that Jesus had supreme power over death.

"Jesus wept": this is so typical of us who cry at funerals although we believe in eternal life.

  1. Christ calls us from death to new life. To what new life are you being called during this Lent?*
  2. Follow-up notion: "new life" can be very simple like a kind word to someone who's struggling; a 'thank you'; a reaching out gesture in a family relationship; saying "sorry"; a "how are you?" to a neighbour.

* All second questions © The Pastoral Center

Prayers of Intercession

 

For Pope Francis as he continues to speak courageously about matters of social justice, the rights of refugees and need for ecological conversion. May people of faith everywhere listen and respond positively to his pleas.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer.

 

For the world leaders, that they will realise all war is futile and violence just leads to more violence. May they, in their hearts, recognise the dignity and worth of every human being and enter into dialogue to find peaceful solutions, so everyone will be able to enjoy life in all its fullness.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer.

 

For suffering humanity, those living in despair and darkness. May God bring new life, new hope and the courage to carry on, to those who are most desolate, through the prayers of all faith communities throughout the world.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer.

 

For all who will be initiated into the church this Easter, that the seeds of the Gospel, buried deep within them, will spring to life and yield a rich harvest of prayer, faith and service.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer. 

 

For ourselves, that as Easter approaches, we will seek to renew our personal commitment to the Way of Christ, the Way of mercy, forgiveness and compassion. May we be reminded that, by raising Lazarus from the dead, Christ showed us he came in order that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer.

 

For the sick, the elderly and isolated, those close to death and all who are troubled in body, mind or spirit. We remember, too, those on the Prayer Foundation list. May everyone experience the gentle touch of God’s healing love.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer. 

 

For those who have died and in particular.....

And for all who are bereaved, that the Lord will heal their wounds and fill them with hope in the Resurrection.

 

Lord in your mercy - Hear our prayer.

 

We will now say the Missionary Prayer together.

Prayer to be Missionary Disciples

Picture of Jesus at door

Lord continue to bless our community
in this time of transition.
Help us on our journey
to grow from a maintenance church
to a missionary church.
Give us the courage
to be missionary disciples.
Make our doors wide enough
to receive all who need
human love and fellowship;
narrow enough to shut out
all envy, pride and prejudice.
Kindle in us the fire of your love
that all who come here
will find joy, peace and love.
Make this a house of prayer
and a gateway to your kingdom.
AMEN

Preparing for next week -  Palm Sunday A

Matt 27:11-54

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (Shorter version)


Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.

   Jesus, then, was brought before the governor, and the governor put to him this question:
   O. Are you the king of the Jews?
   N. Jesus replied,
   ✠ It is you who say it.
   N. But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him,
   O. Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?
   N. But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.
   At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them,
   O. Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?
   N. For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. Now as he was seated in the chair of judgement, his wife sent him a message,
   O. Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.
   N. The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them,
   O. Which of the two do you want me to release for you?
   N. they said,
   C. Barabbas.
   N. Pilate said to them:
   O. But in that case, what am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?
   N. They all said:
   C. Let him be crucified!
   N. Pilate asked:
   O. Why? What harm has he done?
   N. But they shouted all the louder,
   C. Let him be crucified!
   N. Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said,
   O. I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.
   N. And the people, to a man, shouted back,
   C. His blood be on us and on our children!
   N. Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.
   The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying,
   C. Hail, king of the Jews!
   N. And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.
   On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him.
   Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
   The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said,
   C. So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!
   N. The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way, saying:
   C. He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He puts his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, ‘I am the son of God.’
   N. Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.
   From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
   ✠ Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
   N. That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said,
   C. The man is calling on Elijah.
   N. and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink. The rest of them said:
   C. Wait! See if Elijah will come to save him.
   N. But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.
   (Here all kneel and pause for a short time.)
   At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said,
   C. In truth this was a son of God.

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Copyright © 1996-2021 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.

Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). All rights reserved


Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)

Betrayed by Judas and denied three times by Peter, Jesus knew that he would have to face the derision and disillusionment of the crowd below as he hung suffering the agony and death of crucifixion.

We have to face so little by comparison - yet God extends the same gift of eternal life to us ...

  1. Speak of a person you know who stood alone to stay true to the values of his/her life.
    How did it influence you?
  2. We are called to die to ourselves in love for others. How do you live that in your own life?*

* All second questions © The Pastoral Center