A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 9, n. 20)
5th Sunday of Lent, Year A – April 10, 2011 *
“Seeds of Life … Seeds of the Spirit”
BIBLE READINGS
Ez 37:12-14 // Rom 8:8-11 // Jn 11:1-45
(N.B. Series 9 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year A from the perspective of the Second Reading. For reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C based on the Gospel reading, please scroll up to the “ARCHIVES” above and open Series 3. For reflections based on the Old Testament reading, open Series 6.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
It seemed just a simple science project for the first graders in a Canadian parochial school, but it was more than that. The teacher was preparing my six-year old niece for the imminent death of her dad Gisbert, my younger brother. Little Nicole planted some seeds in a plastic cup filled with soil. She brought the sprouting plant to her dad who was confined in the Palliative Care section of Brampton Hospital in Toronto. She placed it on the window sill for him to look at. Her dad passed away two days later. Nicole’s sprouting plant was suggestive of new life and the resurrection of the body. The seeds that died were “seeds of life”.
Like the seed that is buried and dies on the ground, our mortal body would die, but the spirit lives forever and even our mortal body would be brought to life. Jesus Christ assures us: “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25a). The raising of Lazarus to life not only prefigures Christ’s death and glorious resurrection, but also our own. Through the “sign” of Lazarus, Jesus manifested that he was stronger than death … that he himself was the resurrection and life.
Through baptism, we were immersed into the death and rising of Christ. We were reborn into new life. The baptized believers become witnesses and instruments of “life” in death-dealing situations of today’s world. By virtue of the life-giving Spirit that we received at our baptism, we are caught up in Christ’s resurrection and overcome death-dealing situations with it.
Beautiful examples of the power of life over death abound. My personal experience of twenty-year old Brendan testifies to this. I met him at the emergency room of the Good Samaritan Hospital in downtown L.A. where he was patiently waiting medical attention for swollen legs. Brendan is a quadriplegic. While doing a trampoline exercise, the 6’4” handsome athlete fell and broke his neck. Very brilliant and gifted, he won a scholarship at U.C.L.A. where he is studying pre-law. He hopes to travel to New Zealand. When he graduates, he wants to serve in an athletic rehabilitation program that would help disabled athletes. When I bid Brendan goodbye, I knew that my life was radically transformed by his commitment to life, courage and faith. Meeting Brendan had planted “seeds of life” in my heart and soul.
The “seeds of life” are “seeds of the Spirit”. To accept the Spirit of Christ is to receive “new life”. We still live in the “flesh” with its tendency to sin, even after we have received the Spirit, but the indwelling Spirit vivifies the mortal flesh so that it becomes an instrument of grace and not an impediment. Moreover, through the gift of the Spirit, we receive a pledge of eternal life. Indeed, he who raised Jesus from the dead will also restore our mortal bodies by the power of his Spirit who dwells in us (cf. Rom 8:11).
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments on today’s Second Reading (Rom 8:8-11): “The passage from Romans provides the clearest and most complete commentary on the entire liturgy of the fifth Sunday. Once we are baptized, the Spirit of Jesus dwells in us and we have the pledge of resurrection and life … The Christian does not look upon death as other men do; for him, death means the beginning of a new life or, more accurately, the further unfolding of a life that is already his, once he has been justified by baptism and has Christ living in him.”
The good news of “life in the Spirit” … of the power of love and life … of the miracle of the “seeds of life” … of the marvelous energy of the “seeds of the Spirit” continues to envelop us and needs to be diffused. The following story circulated through the Internet gives an insight into the “Lazarus experience” … into the amazing power of love and life.
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.
The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three … every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.
The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.” Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral.
Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her”, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen made up her mind, though. She would take Michael whether they liked it or not! If he didn’t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket.
But the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, “Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed.” The mother instinct rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line. “He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!” Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside.
Michael gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, he sang: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when skies are gray …” Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. “Keep on singing, Michael”, encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s purr. “Keep on singing, sweetheart!!!” “The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms.”
Michael’s little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. “Keep on singing, Michael.” Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”
The next day … the very next day … the little girl was well enough to go home! Woman’s Day Magazine called it “The Miracle of a Brother’s Song”. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God’s love.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
1. In situations of sin and other death-dwelling experiences, do we turn to God with contrite heart and trust in his promise, “I will put my spirit in you that you may live”?
2. Do we believe that the hour of our death is the supreme moment of participation in Christ’s paschal mystery and that we need to trust in his words, “I am the resurrection and the life”? Do we endeavor to rise from the grip of sin and death and allow the life of Christ to flourish in our life?
3. Do we nurture the “seeds of the Spirit” as “seeds of life”? Do we respond to the indwelling Spirit who enables us to live the life of Christ in the “here and now” and will raise our mortal bodies to eternal life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving God,
we have not been faithful to you.
We languish in the graves of sin.
Like Lazarus,
our bodies putrefy
and the stench of misery fills the air.
We turn to you with contrite hearts and humbled spirit.
Through your Son Jesus,
free us from the shackles of sin and death.
Let the Spirit of Jesus raise us up.
We yearn for the “seeds of life”
to grow in our hearts.
May the “seeds of the Spirit” flourish fully
and bring forth abundant fruits.
We trust in the love and mercy of Jesus
and we praise you for him who is our Savior.
Thank you, dear Father,
for the indwelling Spirit who pledges eternal life.
We look forward to the resurrection of the body
and to our glorious destiny with you.
We will rejoice with you,
in the power of Jesus Christ
and in the joy of the Holy Spirit,
forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“The one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” (cf. Rom 8:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray for God’s mercy and grace upon all the death-dwelling situations in today’s world. Commit yourself to sow the “seeds of life … seeds of the Spirit” by opposing direct attacks against innocent human beings and by pursuing the ways of justice, peace and right.
B. ACTION PLAN: That the “seeds of life … seeds of the Spirit” may grow and bear abundant fruit, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year A, vol. 7, # 20).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US