5th Sunday of Lent, The Third Scrutiny Yr. A

Ref.:  Jn. 11:1-44        Humanity in his tears   Sun. 4-6-25 11a Mass Dcn. Bill Kenney

      Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Pee-eh-trell-cheena) famously stated that tears are "the work of God in you," suggesting their divine origin and power to irrigate the stirrings of our hearts. Babies spontaneously cry for all sorts of reasons. As we grow older, it’s not possible, nor should we try, to hold back the tears of joy at births and happiness at weddings or tears of mourning at death and distress at illness. There’s every occasion to cry at a good book, movie or song. Our emotional tearing is uniquely human amongst all of God’s creation.

     Created in the image and likeness of God, we are called to be like Jesus Christ in both his humanity and his divinity.  Through his incarnation, Jesus is fully man and fully God. We often focus our thoughts and prayers of Jesus on his divinity. The awesome power and wonder of Jesus’ miracles certainly capture our attention. The raising of Lazarus, prefiguring Jesus’ and our own resurrection, is a prime example. Arguably, one of his greatest miracles, the power of Jesus’ divinity is on full display to mournful onlookers, as Jesus, speaking to the Father says, “…that they may believe that you sent me.”  We adore and praise his divinity.

     “And Jesus wept” is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, yet it is lengthy in meaning and symbolism. Jesus’ humanity is perhaps no better expressed than in this verse. This passage expresses the anguish Jesus felt over the pain and sorrow his friends Mary, Martha, and others, were suffering at the death of Lazarus. To "weep" is a deeper emotional response versus general crying. Jesus wept for love of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary and knew what he was going to do. Have you ever felt the peace and assurance that God had heard and answered your prayers through your weeping?

       Throughout his Gospel, John identifies the divinity of Jesus: his oneness with and in God; from the beginning, the Word. Yet John is also careful to insist that Jesus is at the same time completely human. As a human person, Jesus weeps, feels fatigue and anguish, gets suspicious and perturbed; he thirsts, walks, sleeps, eats, prays, and most notably, dies a most horrid and painful human death. All these references to Jesus’ humanity tell us he can empathize with our daily struggles: our weaknesses and temptations and can deliver us from them as our redeemer and Savior. How does having an all-powerful divine Savior who lived as we live, provide for you a more personal relationship with him? 

Each time we partake of the true presence of his body and blood in the holy Eucharist, we grow in the humanity and divinity of Jesus. We softly pray during the preparation of the gifts, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” The Eucharist nourishes our body and soul.

      During our earthly pilgrimage, we live in a “valley of tears” where we continue to shed tears of joy and sorrow. May we one day rise to new life in Jesus’ Kingdom following the path of his divine Passion, death, and resurrection. May we one day share his heavenly banquet, where, “He will wipe every tear from our [their] eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” May we, especially our Elect, “Come out” as Lazarus did to the calling of our Lord to new life this Easter, recognizing his divinity and humanity in our lives, for the glory of God.