"...whoever believes in Me, though he should die, will come to life"
Many of us at times experience losses in life. They may come in the form of the loss of a loved one, the loss of employment, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a fortune, the loss of health, or any other loss that can bring real sorrow in our lives. In times such as this, we grieve and we become sorrowful. We feel a space in our hearts or in our life that was not there in the first place. And then, if we are not strong enough to endure the loss, we may lose faith.
In the gospel story, Lazarus has died. He, together with his sisters Martha and Mary, was a friend of Jesus. When Lazarus died, Martha felt the loss and expressed it to Jesus when they spoke with each other. Mary also felt the loss and her feeling of grief was intense that she cried together with the others close to their family. Jesus, overcome with compassion and love, felt the loss too. But He asked Martha if she believed in the Resurrection and Martha said, yes. She said that her brother would live again in the end time when all the dead will be brought to life. Jesus at this point wanted to bring her faith in the present when He said that this life is not in the future but now in the present: for He Himself is the Resurrection and the Life. And so, through the power of God, He raised Lazarus back to life.
Sometimes, when we are overcome with our losses and remember so much the past, we forget the gift of life that God gives us in the present. Even if we have suffered losses - the loss of anything very valuable to our life - there is hope. And that hope is realized not in the future but right now in the present through our faith in Christ as the Resurrection and the Life. If we only believe that He will always be our Life as we receive Him in the breaking of the bread during the Eucharistic celebration, we will always live in Him and death shall not be in our hearts and minds. If we believe we shall be forgiven for our sins when we ask His forgiveness and mercy, then life shall be brought back to our souls and light shall dwell in our being. Life in its fullness shall indwell in us if we but believe in Jesus who gives Himself everyday and every moment. We need only to listen to Him in much prayer and contemplation: in the silence, in the reading of the Scripture, in our adoration, and in our moments of solitude.
