Opening Prayer Series: 5th Sunday of Lent Year A

The Opening Prayer for the fifth Sunday of Lent Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(for the courage to follow Christ)

Father,

help us to be like Christ Your Son,

who loved the world and died for our salvation. 

Inspire us to by His love,

guide us by His example,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

One God for ever and ever.

In making this prayer tangible for this coming week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. Reviewing our Lenten effort so far, how has the gift of courage been evident/lacking?
2. What steps will I make this coming week to use the gift of courage in my Lenten effort?
3. Do I know Christ sufficiently to desire to be like Him?
4. How can I be like Christ in my daily life this coming week? ( name one example that will be your focus)
5. How can I be inspired by God's love this coming week and how will I put it into practice?
6. How will I be guided by Christ's example this coming week?
7. If Lent was to start this week, what would I do differently from what I have been doing during this Lent so far?

Martha's berating of Jesus ' If you had been here, my brother would not have died' is not unexpected of her personality.  She was a practical woman. She would not have been impressed knowing that Jesus had stayed two days longer from when she and her sister Mary sent the message.  Mary, her sister too, despite her different personality also berated Jesus in similar words.

Whether we are a Martha or a Mary, we can all at some time say to Jesus 'why were you absent from me when I needed you most'. Whatever of our berating of Jesus, we usually start it with the word why. 

However, Martha showed that despite her frustration, disappointment and confusion, she had faith in Jesus
' whatever you ask of God, He will grant you'.  Have we the same faith as Martha and be able to say the same?

Mary however, cried. It seems that these tears moved Jesus. He felt compassion and He wept.
For many who grieve, the words 'Jesus wept' in this gospel is comforting.

We too can be dead in our soul and need Jesus to unbind us and let us go free.  God frees us each time we are absolved from our sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us use this sacrament often and well so that we may experience Jesus saying to us

'come out, 

unbind yourself

let yourself go free'.