Weekday in the 5th Week of Lent

• First Reading – 2 Kings 4:18b-21, 32-37: A boy died suddenly, but Elisha prayed to the Lord. Through his actions, the boy came back to life, and his mother received him with deep gratitude.
• Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 17: I ask God to listen, protect me, and stay close. I wait with hope, knowing I will see his face and be joyful in his presence.
• Gospel – John 11:1-45: Jesus traveled to Bethany after Lazarus had died. Moved by sorrow and faith, he called Lazarus from the tomb. Lazarus came out alive, and many people believed because of what they saw.

Lectionary Reference: 250

Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.

John 11:11

Optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent often show how God hears our cries and brings new life when all hope seems lost. These readings help us think about trust, grief, healing, and the power of God to act through others.

• Rising from sorrow: The story of Elisha shows that even in great loss, God can work through his prophets to bring hope. A grieving mother receives her child again, and faith is renewed.
• Faith in God’s timing: Martha and Mary waited for Jesus even though their brother had died. This reminds us to trust God’s timing even when we do not understand it.
• God listens to prayer: Elisha prays, and Jesus also speaks to the Father. Both stories remind us that prayer opens the way for God’s action.
• New life after death: Lazarus and the boy both return from death. These signs help people believe that God has power over death.
• Hope when all seems lost: Both families in these stories are filled with grief. But God brings joy out of sorrow.
• God acts through others: Elisha lays on the boy, and Jesus calls Lazarus. These actions show that God sometimes works through human hands and voices.
• The power of belief: Many people believed when they saw what happened. Faith grows when we witness God’s work in the lives of others.

These optional readings during the 5th Week of Lent help us prepare for Easter by reminding us that God brings life where there was once death. They call us to believe, to pray, and to wait with trust.

The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent offer a chance to pause and reflect on sorrow, trust, and the ways God brings new life. These stories show that God listens when we call and often acts through others. Whether it is through a prophet like Elisha or through Jesus calling Lazarus, God brings hope even when the situation seems hopeless. These reflections help us notice how God may be working in our own lives.

Rising from Sorrow

The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent include the story of Elisha and a grieving mother. Her son has died, and she lays him on the prophet’s bed. She doesn’t shout or complain. She simply goes to Elisha with deep trust that he can help.

Elisha takes her pain seriously. He goes to the house and enters the room. He prays and then stretches himself out over the child. The child begins to breathe again. Life returns where there was only silence.

This is a reading about sorrow, but it is also a reading about hope. The mother did not give up. She believed that God could still act. Her sorrow turned to joy because she brought it to someone who listened and prayed.

Many of us carry quiet grief. We may have lost someone or faced a deep disappointment. The story reminds us that God sees our pain. The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent tell us that sorrow is not the end of the story.

Hope When All Seems Lost

The Gospel from the optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent tells about the death of Lazarus. His sisters had sent word to Jesus, but he did not come right away. By the time he arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. It seemed too late.

Martha and Mary both said, “If you had been here, he would not have died.” They were sad, but they still believed in Jesus. Even though things looked final, they still trusted him. Jesus wept with them. He didn’t ignore their grief.

Then something unexpected happened. Jesus told them to roll away the stone. He called Lazarus to come out. And Lazarus walked out alive. Where there was death, there was now life.

Sometimes we feel like things are over. Like hope is gone. But the optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent remind us that God is still working. Even when it looks like the end, it may not be.

God Acts Through Others

In both the story of Elisha and the raising of Lazarus, God works through people. Elisha prays and stretches out over the child. Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb. Neither act is flashy. Both are done in faith and obedience.

These optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent remind us that God often chooses to work through people. He could act in any way, but he invites us to be part of his work. Elisha listens and acts. Jesus speaks and gives thanks before calling Lazarus.

This means we are called, too. We may not raise the dead, but we can bring hope to someone hurting. We can pray, we can listen, we can serve. These acts matter. They open the way for God to bring new life.

Sometimes we think we are too small or not holy enough. But God can work through anyone who is willing. The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent show that even simple actions can be part of something greater.

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The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent are full of reminders that God is close to the brokenhearted and can bring healing in surprising ways. They invite us to trust, to pray, and to take part in God’s work of renewal. In our quiet prayers and daily actions, we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Prayer

Lord, help me to trust you when things are hard. Teach me to turn to you in sorrow and joy. Use my words and actions to bring comfort and hope to others. Help me believe that new life is always possible with you. Amen.

Reflection Questions

• When have I seen God bring hope in a hard time?
• Do I believe God can work through me to help someone else?
• What does this reading teach me about waiting on God’s timing?
• How do I respond when I feel like all hope is gone?

Lazarus, Come Out!

Sr. Mary Ellen Green shares a reflection on the raising of Lazarus, told from Lazarus’s point of view. She imagines what it was like to be close friends with Jesus, to die, and then to be called back to life. Lazarus remembers the peace and beauty of where his soul had gone and how Jesus’ voice brought him back.

This story reminds us of the power of Jesus to bring life even in the face of death. The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent help us think about what holds us back and how Jesus calls us to freedom. Lazarus is not only raised but also untied, set free to live fully.

Let Him Go

This homily focuses on Jesus raising Lazarus and what that means for us. The optional readings for a weekday in the 5th Week of Lent remind us that no one is too far gone for Jesus to call back to life. His voice brings hope, even when all seems lost.

Bishop Barron shares that we all experience some kind of spiritual death, whether small or deep. But like Lazarus, we can hear Jesus call us out of darkness. Bishop Barron urges us to imagine Jesus calling each of us by name and setting us free.

What happened to the boy in the first reading?
He died suddenly while in the field. His mother brought him to Elisha, the prophet, who prayed and helped bring him back to life.

Why did the mother go to Elisha instead of asking others for help?
She believed Elisha was a man of God. She trusted that he could help her even though her son had died.

Why did Elisha lay on the boy?
Elisha used his whole body in the act of prayer and healing. It was a physical way to show how closely he was asking God to act.

Why did Jesus wait before going to Lazarus?
Jesus waited because he wanted people to see that even after death, God can still act. His delay helped others believe in what God can do.

Why did Jesus cry even though he knew Lazarus would live?
Jesus felt the sorrow of Martha and Mary. He shared in their sadness, showing that he cares when we are hurting.

Why were people surprised when Lazarus came out of the tomb?
They thought it was too late. He had been dead for days, so they didn’t expect anything to change.

How can these stories help us today?
They remind us not to give up when things look hopeless. God can still bring good out of sad or hard situations.

What does this show about how God works?
God sometimes chooses to work through people. Elisha and Jesus both acted with faith, and God brought healing through them.

What should we do when we feel like all is lost?
We can turn to God in prayer, like the mother and the sisters of Lazarus did. God hears us and can help in ways we do not expect.

How can we be like Elisha or Jesus?
We can listen to others, pray for them, and offer comfort. We can trust God to use our simple actions to help others.

Why do these stories matter during Lent?
Lent is a time to think about new life and trusting God. These stories show that God brings life where there is loss and hope where there is sorrow.

Can God still do things like this now?
Yes, God still works in our lives. We may not see miracles in the same way, but he brings healing and hope through prayer, people, and love.