Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

As Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:1-45) those standing about remarked: “See how much He loved him!” The fact that Jesus stands outside the tomb of the recently deceased Lazarus and weeps shows how much he valued Lazarus' friendship. As the story goes on Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb and back to life. The bystanders say: “See how much He loved him!”

John's Gospel is full of lines that offer several possible interpretations. Can't we see in the fact that Jesus raises Lazarus back to life another indication of how much he loved him? Furthermore, John means for the modern reader to see here how much Jesus loves all of us, enough to bring us all back to life and even here and now, this Lent, to invigorate our slack and stumbling selves.

And there's more suggested in the many-layered writing of John: the love of anyone of us for another is a power that can bring the other back to life, give him or her reason to live, revitalize somnolent existence. In our relationships we see again and again how life-giving love is. Love brings out intelligence and generosity, hope, joy and courage in those who are loved, awakes dormant potential. Love makes people bloom who would otherwise stay stunted or undeveloped. Warmed by love, they come out like those daring crocuses that poke their heads out of the snow in February or March in northern climes.

We are both able to give this kind of love and see its results and to receive this kind of love and flourish. Much of the good in anyone of us is the result of parents, teachers, coaches, friends who took the time and effort to love into life some vaguely formed quality or talent of ours, to encourage what another without love would never see. “See how much He loved him.”

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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