Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45
One of the profound lessons of life is that we don't really treasure or value something until it is lost.
It is a recurring lesson and we don't seem to learn enough of it.
So, we take a lot of things for granted and we seem to think that we will always have them.
We won't value the convenience of our mobile phone until it is spoiled or lost.
We don't really take care of our health until we fall sick.
We don't appreciate the love of our parents and loved ones until they have passed on.
And we don't often think about the meaning and purpose of our life, until we are faced with the reality of death.
No doubt, we have experienced the loss of a loved one, and we have attended the wakes and funerals of relatives and friends.
It may affect us for a while as we think about death and what the afterlife is about.
But we move on, and those who have passed on become a memory that slowly fades away like the sunset.
Today's gospel brings up the topic of death, and makes us think about the meaning and purpose of our lives.
We may not know exactly what is the afterlife about. But we know that Jesus is the Resurrection, and He is our life, and in Him, we have a new life after death.
As Christians, we live our lives here on earth in preparation for our eternal life in heaven.
We want to be happy on earth, so that we will be eternally joyful in heaven.
We want to live in peace on earth, so that we will truly rest in peace in heaven.
And in following the Commandment of Jesus, then whatever love and good that we can do for others, we will want to do it, because we only walk this way once, and we want to walk with others all the way to heaven.
So, our life on earth is to be a life of love, and we will be prepared to face our own death, because we long for the eternal love of God in heaven.
But, the worries and anxieties of this world, the wear and tear of life, make us hide in the tombs of our darkness.
And in that darkness, we succumb to the sins of anger, resentment, bitterness, frustration, disappointment, greed, selfishness, in short, the corruption of the tomb.
But just as Jesus called out to Lazarus, He calls out to each of us to “Come out!”
Let us listen to the voice of Jesus, let us listen to the voice of life and love.
Let us come out of our self-made tombs to encounter Jesus who is the Resurrection and who is our life.
Jesus wants to unbind our sins, so that we can be freed, freed to live with love.
And Jesus sends us out to love, so that others can find the meaning and purpose of their lives, and to journey with us to have life on earth, and eternal life in heaven.