Joke: Three people died and presented themselves to Saint Peter at the gate of heaven. Before Saint Peter admitted them into heaven, he asked them a question. He asked the first one, “When you died, what would you want people to say about you when you were lying there in the coffin?” This first one was a Catholic daughter of America, so she said, “I would like to hear them say that I used to be a good member who helped the Church to run the bingo, to have a rummage sale, and to organize many fundraises to bring money to help the Church. That’s what I would like to be recognized.” Saint Peter agreed and granted her request. The second person came, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Saint Peter asked the same question, and he responded, “I used to be a member of the Knights of Columbus. I helped to fix many things in the Church and around the Church. I was in the kitchen every Friday during Lent to cook fish and fries and many other things I did to help my Church.” Once again, Saint Peter granted him his request. The third one came, he was a Jesuit priest. Saint Peter asked the same question, and he said, “When I died lying in the coffin, I just wanted people to say, ‘Look at his fingers, they are moving.’”

As part of my preparing for the funeral liturgy as a priest, I often invite family members of the deceased one to come to my office when I don’t know the family so that I can get to know a little bit about the one that I will celebrate the funeral liturgy. Why do I do that? One of the obvious reasons is that the dead cannot speak for themselves as in the case of Lazarus reported in today’s Gospel. The name Lazarus didn’t mention a lot in the Gospels. It was mentioned only twice. In the story of the poor Lazarus begging for the food dropping from a rich man’s dining table and the story of Lazarus reported in today’s Gospel. From these two stories of Lazarus, the meaning of Lazarus was derived from the Hebrew Eleazar meaning “God has helped.” God has helped the poor and the ones who cannot help themselves. Have you and I ever needed help from God? When do we need help from God?

Lazarus, in today’s Gospel, was sick and dying that he couldn’t do anything. Did he need help from God so as not to die from sickness and illness? He sure needed it, but he couldn’t do anything except lay on his sick bed and waited to die. Thanks be to God that his sisters, Martha and Mary, interceded for him and sent words to Jesus letting him know that Lazarus was ill. Jesus received the message, but he didn’t go immediately to save Lazarus from dying. He waited until Lazarus died not one day, but four days. We might want to ask, did he ignore the message? He didn’t ignore the message, but he wanted to know how much faith Martha and Mary, his sisters, had for him. This story was not a story from more than two thousand years ago, but it is also a story of our time. Those who are infected by the coronavirus that the whole world faced back two years ago, need those not infected with coronavirus to intercede, to help, and to pray for them so that they are healed and cured of this dangerous virus and not spread to others. The question is, how do those who are not infected help those who are infected by this dangerous virus? Throughout the whole world, we, clergies, continue to celebrate Masses either alone or with a few people to pray for the end of coronavirus. Coronavirus is over now, but we still don’t see many people come back to Church yet. This makes me ask myself, has Jesus ignored our prayer for the end of coronavirus, or have we ignored his presence in our lives? The pandemic is over for a year at least, and even if we are infected by this virus, we have medicine to cure it now, and yet, many seem to forget to come to Church to give thanks to God that this pandemic is over. Has God ignored our prayers or have we forgotten to come to Church to thank God for protecting us and watching over us to keep us safe to this day?

After Jesus raised Lazarus back to life again, he asked his sisters and those present at his tomb to untie him and let him go since Lazarus was tied with burial bands on his hands, and his feet and wrapped in a cloth on his face. If Jesus could raise a dead back to life again, he would have no problem untying those burial bands at the same time, why didn’t he do that? Why did he have to ask others to help untie the dead man Lazarus and let him go? The pandemic is over, and we are encouraged and reminded to come back to Church to give thanks to God in person and not on a television screen. However, there is still a number who have not returned for whatever reason that is. The pandemic bound us for a year or two without being able to come to Church to thank God for the gift of life. The pandemic is over now. Is there anything that still stopped you to come to Church? Is there anything that we can help to untie you to come to Church?

The Lord Jesus called Lazarus from the dead back to life, are you able to hear him call you? He might not call you from the physically dead, but he might call you to get rid of the shell of laziness, the shell of depression and stress of life, the shell of doubt, etc. Have you had enough courage and strength to get out of your idleness to come to Church? If you need help to untie your idleness, what would you prefer? Martha and Mary interceded for their unmoved brother Lazarus that the Lord Jesus raised him from death, what would you and I do to help those who are bound for whatever reason it is that are not able to come to Church? Lazarus couldn’t do anything when he was lying there dying and dead, our brothers and sisters who may find themselves bound at home and not able to go to Church, how would you and I help to free them from this chain to come to Church? We are reminded that Jesus raised the dead back to life again and invite us to free one another from whatever might bind us to come to Church. The decision is yours.