Collect Series: Fifth Sunday Lent Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: collect series icon

Fifth Sunday Lent Year A Collect

The Collect for the 5th Sunday of Lent reads as follows:

By Your help we beseech You Lord our God,

may we walk eagerly in that same charity

with which out of love for the world

Your Son handed himself over to death.

 

 

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

 

 

1. What is my level of dependence on God in my life?

2. How and when do I ask God for help? Only when in need or constantly?

3. What is my capacity to obey God in my life?

4. What is my response to the Crucifixion or do I only want to contemplate the Resurrection?

5. How will my Holy Week celebrations change me this year?

6. How will I manage my Lenten Penances, prayer and almsgiving this week?

 

We are heading into the 5th week of Lent.  It is a good time to have a short review of how we are progressing or not with our Lenten penances, prayer and almsgiving.  Now if Lent has been going well for you, then keep on going and moving forward spiritually. 

 

If, like myself you have wavered along the way, then it is not the time to give up and think I start again next year. Oh no- I have done that in the past and I can assure you, it does not work. No, it is time to have a review, see what has worked or not worked, take your decision to move forward to God and ask Him to help you to complete whatever penance you have decided to do.  Even if that means ditching the one you started earlier in Lent and choosing something that is hard enough but manageable between now and the end of Lent. 

Not long to go before Holy Thursday. So let us be renewed in our efforts to get to the finishing line of Lent and the start of the Tridium. 

 

It is also a great time during Lent to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation.  If it has been a while since you last received this sacrament, don't let that put you off.  Take courage and just go.  God loves you and is waiting for you to return to Him.  Just go.  I am saying this for myself as well as it can be tempting to put it off longer than planned.!!!  I remember a priest friend of mine who used to say in his homilies '' if your last reception of the sacrament was in the ice age, then allow Jesus to melt you''.  Between you and I, he always had a good queue but he was worth the wait.!!!

 

Just as Christ gave Himself willingly to die for us, let us show Him that we are willing to make the effort too.

 



 

Let us pray for each other as we push forward towards the Tridium. 

 

Gospel Reflection

John 11:1–45

Theme: “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

 

Setting the Scene

Lazarus of Bethany is ill. His sisters, Martha and Mary, send word to Jesus: “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” Yet Jesus does not immediately go. By the time He arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.

Martha meets Him first. Her faith is both strong and searching: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus responds with a revelation that shifts the horizon: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Mary approaches in grief, and Jesus is deeply moved. He weeps. Then, standing before the tomb, He calls Lazarus forth. The dead man emerges, still bound in burial cloths. Jesus commands, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Life breaks into death.

 

Gospel Reflection: Standing Before the Tomb

This Gospel moves beyond physical healing into the heart of Christian hope. Jesus does not prevent death; He enters into it. He stands before the tomb and reveals Himself not merely as one who raises the dead, but as Resurrection itself.

Martha’s confession becomes central: “Yes, Lord, I believe.” Faith here is not abstract optimism but trust in the One who stands before her in grief.

The tears of Jesus are as significant as the miracle. He does not dismiss sorrow. He shares it. Divine power and human compassion meet at the tomb.

Lent now draws close to Holy Week. This Gospel prepares us by confronting death directly — not only physical death, but the places in our lives that feel sealed, bound, or beyond hope.

The command to “unbind him” echoes beyond Lazarus. Resurrection is not only about coming forth; it is about being released from what restricts life.

 

Personal Reflection

Where in my life do I feel something has been placed in a tomb — a hope, a relationship, a sense of purpose? Perhaps there are areas where I have quietly accepted finality. Jesus does not rush grief, yet He does not leave it untouched.

Standing before the tomb requires courage. Martha and Mary voice their disappointment honestly. Their faith includes lament. Lent invites the same honesty. Am I willing to bring my grief, confusion, or disappointment into Christ’s presence? Do I believe that He stands before the places I consider closed?

The question Jesus asks Martha still echoes: “Do you believe this?” Faith may not eliminate sorrow, but it reframes it. The call to unbind reminds me that resurrection also involves participation — allowing Christ to free what has been tightly wrapped in fear, resentment, or despair.

 

Reflection Questions

·         Where do I experience grief or loss that needs Christ’s presence?

·         What “tombs” exist in my life right now?

·         Do I believe that Jesus is resurrection and life — not only in theory, but in reality?

·         What bindings might Christ be asking me to release?

·         How can I respond with renewed hope as Lent draws toward Holy Week?

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You stand before every tomb
with compassion and authority.
Enter the places of my life
that feel sealed or lifeless.

Strengthen my faith
to trust in You as resurrection and life.
Unbind what restricts me,
and lead me toward the fullness of hope
You alone can give.
Amen.