Things to talk about:

• Describe what you think it would have been like to witness Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
• Jesus was friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
  What do you think they talked about?
• What does Jesus say about who he is in his conversation with Martha?
• What does Jesus’ promise, “I am the resurrection and the life,” mean for you?

Things to do:

• Make Lazarakia, a traditional Greek Lenten bread that help to brings this Gospel story to life. Click HERE for the recipe. Click HERE for a video.
• Think about an discuss how compassionate are we to
  those who are suffering or who have experienced a death or other loss. Talk about what you can say or do.
• Remember a deceased family member in your prayers this week.
• What sign do we make when the Gospel is announced? (We sign ourselves with a small cross on the forehead, lips, and heart before the Gospel to pray that the Word of God may be in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. This gesture symbolizes a desire to understand the Gospel, proclaim it, and live it, dedicating our whole being to Christ.)
   
   

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, Spring is a time of change. Some changes we joyfully await and some we fear. Some changes we plan, and others arrive uninvited. To all these changes, we ask the gift of your Holy Spirit to help us meet these changes with expectation, hope, and rebirth. May the sunlight and the rain be reminders that you are at work renewing the earth. As a God of renewal, you are always at work in our lives too. Open our eyes to the needed changes in our lives.

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insight

For the past two Sundays, and in this Gospel, the
readings reveal who Jesus is and why people seek him.

He is the Living Water, the Light and the Resurrection.
During the Easter season, we are reminded of the
promises made at Baptism, whoever believes in him will have eternal life.

Did you know?.... that the raising of Lazarus is the last of the signs and wonders in John’s account of the Gospel and was seen as the “last straw” for Jesus’ enemies who were seeking a reason to punish him? Soon after this incident, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to face his own passion and death

Additional key concepts for this week:

Martha, Mary and Lazarus– Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany are celebrated in Catholic theology as dear friends of Jesus, representing a model family of faith, hospitality, and divine friendship. Their shared feast day is July 29, honoring their witness to Christ. They represent active service (Martha), contemplative love (Mary), and the resurrection (Lazarus). Read more….

---

Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection