Homily #153 for RCIA Third Scrutiny of the Elect (Jesus Raises Lazarus, Year A Readings)

'Raising of Lazarus" by Duccio di Buoninsegna (14th C.)

(audio)

Homily #153 for RCIA Third Scrutiny of the Elect (Jesus Raises Lazarus, Year A Readings for RCIA)

by Deacon Dennis Purificacion

April 7, 2019, 10am

I.

Many of us who have experienced hardship, or illness, or evils by others, or sins may have asked, “If God exists, then why do bad things happen to good people?” or “Why do evil people that disobey God’s laws continue to flourish while people who follow God’s law suffer for doing what’s right?”  This is called the classical problem of evil.

St. Thomas Aquinas replied that there are two reasons why God allows evil to happen: First, because of the free will of evil people.  God ordinarily does not violate the free choice even of evil people.  The problem then is man and not God.  God is never the cause of evil.  The second reason St. Thomas gives is that God allows or permits evil so that a greater good may come of it. 

God takes what is evil like sin or sickness or suffering or even death and He uses these somehow for His glory and our greater good.  As human wisdom says, “God writes straight with crooked lines.”

II.

This leads us to today’s Gospel from John Chapter 11.  When Jesus heard that his friend, Lazarus, whom he loved dearly, was sick and dying, Jesus replied, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  That is why Jesus deliberately remained for two days where he was staying before going to Lazarus.  Jesus allowed the death of Lazarus to show a greater purpose.

However, for Jesus to change the evil of suffering and sickness and even death for eternal glory, Jesus required an act of faith among those enduring the suffering.  Martha made an act of faith.  When Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”  Jesus then asked, “Do you believe in this?”  Do you believe in this?  She replied, “Yes, Lord.  I do believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  And from this, Jesus worked his wonder and resurrected Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus then said, “Untie him and let him go.”

So what about us, dear brothers and sisters?  As we come to the end of Lent soon, what remains that ties us down as though it were a type of Lazarus death?  Where can Jesus still uncover, then heal, and rise from the dead?  And, like Lazarus, Jesus weeps.  Can you imagine that?  Ponder that: Jesus weeps for me, because he loves me, even in my tomb.  Sometimes, he allows bad things in my life and seems to delay before replying to my prayer for help.  But I still believe, because I know that He always has my greatest good in mind.

III.

Now, some of us may have wondered why the Readings/Gospel were from Year A instead of Year C.  No, we didn’t get the readings incorrect for this Mass, but rather it is because we are celebrating what is called the Third Scrutiny of the Elect, the chosen ones, in RCIA.  The Elect were formed as Catechumens and will receive the life-giving Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist at the Great Easter Vigil in a few weeks.  They hear this Gospel, and through them we also hear about Christ raising us to new life.  These Elect remind us of our own baptism which raised us from spiritual death.  The 3 Scrutinies during Lent are brief rituals of the Catholic Church after the homily that are meant to uncover, then heal, all that is still weak, defective or sinful in the hearts of the Elect and to strengthen what is good in them.  The priest does a minor exorcism.  This gives light to the blind, living water to the thirsty, and life to the dead at the end of Lent.

In our First Reading, it is written in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, “Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people” (Ex. 37)!  These Elect, especially the children and teens, are models for us during Holy Week, the high point of the liturgical year when thousands upon thousands around the world are baptized and received into Holy Mother Church.  They are models because they remind us of the gift to be children of God and Holy Mother Church.  They remind us of the great gift of our faith that martyrs have died for. 

Next week is Palm Sunday when Jesus enters Jerusalem.  Then it will be Holy Thursday when Jesus institutes the priesthood and the Eucharist of love.  On Good Friday, the only day in the year when Mass is not celebrated, Jesus died on the Cross.  Then at the Great Easter Vigil on Saturday night, Christ rose from the dead.  He is the Resurrection and the Life.  He is only way home to God. 

As a parish, we must constantly be inviting non-Catholics into RCIA. This is how we initiate unbaptized adults and children beyond the age of reason that have not been baptized.  Or perhaps they are validly baptized in another Protestant tradition and seek full unity back to the Catholic Church which Christ Our Lord founded. 

I have to say as a side note, before I close, that there are some that think they were validly baptized but were not.  For example, many people think that the Aglipayan or Philippine Independent Church validly baptizes, but our canon lawyers say that there is what is called doubtful [validity of] baptism with Aglipayan.  [If one is baptized Aglipayan, then one should receive conditional baptism in the Catholic Church.  Also, Iglesiya ni Christo definitely has invalid baptisms.  If either are the case, come see us in RCIA and have us discern it together with you.  Thank you, Linda Becker for your leadership with adults and Deacon Juan for forming teens!

IV.

In closing, Jesus takes what is dead and restores it to life.  He takes what is evil and raises it up to some greater good.  He takes those without the life-giving waters of Baptism, unties the bonds of sin and death, and raises them to new life in Christ.  May our words, too, be those of Martha: Yes, Lord, I do believe, that you are Christ, the Son of the God.”  Amen.