Written ReflectionWritten Reflection

Visio Divina for 4/3/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 1 (Listening)

 LISTENING

Read the text below, preferably aloud.  As you hear the word, “listen with the ear of your heart” for a word or short phrase that God has for you this day.

John 11:17, 20-27

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days…When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home.  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

 COMMENTS

In this initial part of Visio Divina, we are asked to “listen with the ear of [our] heart” for a word or short phrase that God has for us this day.

The “word” that was most prominent for me in this time of prayer was: “while Mary stayed at home.”  I’ve been there.  There are times for me when initiating connection with Jesus, and further building relationship, just seems more than I can do.  Perhaps I’m afraid of what I will hear, discover, or experience, if I intentionally spend time with him.  Mary was a true disciple of Jesus: she spent much time sitting at this feet, listening to him teach, and just taking in his presence, passion, spirit, and love.  She deeply loved Jesus…and her brother.  Perhaps in the swirl of her grief, and all the people present, she needed a little more time.

What I find consoling about this is that, because of the Resurrection, and because of Pentecost, even when we find ourselves unable (or unwilling) to initiate connection with Christ in some intentional way, Christ still comes to us.  Even when we feel too tired, or angry, or overwhelmed, or maybe just feeling apathetic about everything “spiritual,” we are still not alone.  I know from experience, Jesus waits for us.  He respects our need for space, but never abandons.  Jesus always meets us where we’re at…even in our own unique “tombs.”  In that space, words are not even necessary.

Where is Jesus meeting you today?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Visio Divina for 4/4/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 2 (Meditating)

MEDITATING

Ruminate on the word you were drawn to in yesterday’s scripture passage (John 7:53-8:11). What does the word or phrase you have chosen mean to you today?

COMMENTS

The word that caught my attention today is “believe:” Jesus asks Martha if she believes what he has told her about himself.  Out of curiosity, I did a little research on that word.  One source I consulted stated that this word is found in John’s Gospel 99 times – much more than any of the other Gospels combined.  To believe is to trust, receive, and accept…without evidence.

I pondered what Jesus may have felt when he asked Martha if she believed him.  Jesus has shared with her something that is core to his very identity and being; he has just traveled through hostile territory to get there; and he knows that what he is about to do will seal his fate, as far as the Temple leaders, who want to kill him, are concerned.  Jesus knows his “hour” is fast approaching.  I get the sense here that Jesus literally aches for Martha to believe him: as if that bit of human solidarity and validation is of utmost importance for him at this moment.  It makes sense.  We all long to be believed, received, and accepted, when we risk sharing something intrinsic about ourselves.  Without this kind of validation, we can be left feeling unsettled, uncertain, and hurt – especially within a context of great stress and grief, as this is for Jesus.

Scripture doesn’t tell us what Jesus was feeling at this moment, but later in this passage we know that Jesus wept.  What an exquisitely beautiful, intimate, and very human response!  Jesus, God-incarnate, joins us in our deepest hurts – our “tombs” – and then proceeds to bring us to new life, beyond anything we could’ve imagined possible.  God is only limited by our belief…our faith.

What do you believe about Jesus?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Visio Divina for 4/5/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 3 (Seeing)

SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination below. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see. Be open to images, thoughts, impressions, and feelings that come into your awareness.

COMMENTS

This is such a powerful illumination!  Every time I pray with it, I “see” something different.

The “word” that caught my attention as I read through the text was: “…everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”  I was reminded of a time of deep struggle in my life – a time when I experienced much anger toward God.  During that time I stopped praying, I stopped going to church, and I thought I’d renounced even God.  As I prayed today, I wondered what upheld me during that downward spiral; I wondered what sustained my ‘belief’ in God, so that I would “never die.”  Then I sat with this beautiful illumination, and my eyes were drawn to the three little gold figures to the left of Lazarus.  I had my answer.

What upheld me during that painful time of blindness and self-imposed isolation was: community.  Remarkable – given that I’d renounced God, church, and basically everybody else during that time.    I didn’t realize it then, but I know now that there was a “community of healers,” a community of believers, holding me up to God in prayer.  They sustained my ‘belief’ at a time when I couldn’t – or wouldn’t – believe.  In this illumination, I see that community represented by those golden figures next to Lazarus…next to me…and next to you.

I felt much gratitude well up in my heart over this realization.  Then it occurred to me: I can do the same thing for others who are stuck in blindness; for others who are lost and stuck in a “tomb” of some sort.  I can give back what I was freely given, by being a member of someone else’s “community of healers” – whether they’re aware of it or not.  I can be part of that cadre of people who help carry the burdens of someone else, at a time when they simply cannot.  This is one way in which I can accompany Jesus, the Good Shepherd, as he goes in search of that one lost sheep.  Amazing…

Who do you think is in your “community of healers?”

Is there someone you know, stuck in a “tomb” and struggling to believe, for whom you could “appear” through prayer, as one of those golden figures?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Visio Divina for 4/6/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 4 (Seeing – Continued)

 SEEING (continued)

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination below. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see. Be open to images, thoughts, impressions, and feelings that come into your awareness.

COMMENTS

In this illumination, I’m struck by the burial bandages wrapped around Lazarus…bands which appear to be unraveling and coming away from his body.  As I prayed with the text, the “word” that resonated for me was Martha’s response at the end: “…I believe that you are…the one coming into the world.”

As I prayed with this illumination, from Lazarus’ perspective it appears that a figure highlighted with gold is approaching…it appears that Jesus is ‘coming into his world.’  My sense is that the more we allow Jesus to come into our world…our very self…the more our own unique ‘burial bands’ start to unravel and fall away.  What are these bands?  Could they represent aspects of ourselves that hinder our walk with God?  My experience has been that the more I allow Jesus to show me what is actually in my heart, as opposed to what I think is there or what I want to believe is there, the more inner freedom I enjoy.  We might assume that these revelations of our own inner truths will be necessarily painful to see…but not always!  Sometimes God reveals to us our own authentic goodness that we carry – a true goodness that was covered over with ‘burial bands’ of a false or outdated concept of self.  We are then invited by God to embrace this more accurate view of self.  How freeing this can be!  Truly, the more we can let Jesus break into our lives, our inner core, and let his presence heal us…let his presence show us to ourselves – the more these bands fall away, and we sense a greater capacity to see and enjoy the abundance of life within and around us.

During this Lenten season, what ‘burial bands’ are you discovering that hinder your walk with God?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Visio Divina for 4/7/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 5 (Praying)

 PRAYING

Pray to God, allowing for the transformation of your being and feelings. Give to God what you have found in your heart.

COMMENTS

Is there someone in your life that you struggle to love?  Perhaps someone who has hurt you deeply, and for whom you experience much pain in just thinking about them, much less praying for them?  I have someone like that in my life – and I’d imagine most of us do.

The “word” that came off the page for me today was Jesus’ statement to Martha: “Your brother will rise.”  I’ve prayed with this text and illumination many times over the past few months, and every time I got to that part I’d quickly move on.  I didn’t want to think about that where this person is concerned…so much pain inflicted, and seemingly dismissed as if nothing.  But in this prayer today, that statement stood out so clearly and resonated so deeply, that I did not read the rest of the passage.  I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to sit with this, and talk to God about what I was thinking and experiencing.  This form of prayer is like that.  Sometimes we’re called to just stop and pray with a particular word or phrase in the text, as opposed to continuing on in the effort to “finish” the reading.

I stopped and sat with God, and I let Jesus’ statement surround me: “Your brother will rise.”  God gave me a great gift in this prayer today, by showing me what is authentic in the depths of my heart where this person is concerned.  I realized that underneath all the pain, anger, and sense of betrayal, lies a core bit of truth: I really do want this person to “rise.”  I really do want this person to be freed from the burial bands of denial, shame, and anger.  Then my eyes darted down to Jesus’ question: “Do you believe this?”  I felt a great sense of freedom as I realized that not only do I wish healing for this person, but I also know that it’s not up to me.  All I have to do is believe, and then give the rest to God.  This doesn’t mean that the pain I still feel has somehow magically been erased – in fact, it may never go away completely.  Deep wounds are like that sometimes.  But the gift for me today is greater freedom, deeper healing, and more willingness to simply allow Jesus to do what he came to do: free us…love us…heal us…bring us home.

As you continue to walk with Jesus in his suffering, death, and resurrection this Lenten season, is there an area of your life in which Jesus wants to walk with you, in your particular Paschal mystery?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

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Visio Divina for 4/8/11 – “Raising of Lazarus” – Day 6 (Contemplating)

CONTEMPLATING

 Notice the transforming presence of God within you. Let go of words and images. Surrender all that is stirring, even if only briefly, and rest for a few minutes in God’s embrace.

 

COMMENTS

In the “contemplation” segment of Visio Divina, we are to let go of words and images and allow ourselves to rest in God.

I have prayed with this illumination and text many times over the past two months, and as I sat down to pray with this again, I noticed an inner sense of calm and relief…and a little smile on my face.  I realized the source of this calm was a deep knowing: God will always come for us.  God will always come for us…no matter what.  Before Jesus chose to enter hostile territory again in order to respond to Martha and Mary’s plea, he said to his disciples: “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).  Jesus’ choice to come reveals not only who he really is – this also reveals who God really is…and what God is really like.  God will always come for us.  This is hard to believe if you’ve been in that “tomb” for a long time; it’s hard to hang onto that if you’re struggling with the ‘burial bands’ of addiction, shame, grief, or anger; and sometimes you may need to shout out to God as Jesus did on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  You may need others in your “community of healers” to uphold you, and to help you carry your burden, as you struggle to sit up in your “tomb,” and as you decide whether or not to take another step toward that light.  All of that is part of the journey…and all of it is prayer.

Verse 35 in this chapter of John states that Jesus wept: I see that as part of his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus knew what his raising of Lazarus would lead to, and he chose it anyway.  This is the source of my sense of calm and relief…again…God always comes for us.

As we move toward Holy Week, perhaps this is a time to hold silence, and become more aware of the choices Jesus made for us…long before he reached Gethsemane.

This leads to a question for each of us to ponder: What are my choices leading to?

–Amie Schumacher

©Raising of Lazarus, Donald Jackson 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Audio ReflectionAudio Reflection

Seeing Lent – Week 4 – 2013 – Raising of Lazarus

Each week during Lent, two video reflections will be shared: one from a student at the College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University, and one from a faculty member or professional.

Raising of Lazarus
John 11:17, 20-27

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

Dr. Barbara Sutton
Associate Dean of Formation and Outreach and faculty member at Saint John’s School of Theology.Seminary


Christian Wilmore
Sophomore studying Biochemistry and French at Saint John’s University

Written ReflectionWritten Reflection

Illuminating Christ: Raising of Lazarus

Lazaruscropped

Son of Humankind,
Your friend Lazarus died, and you wept. The raw ache of grief tugged at your heart.
You know what it feels like to mourn. You also know what it’s like to rise again.
Console us in our times of despair.
In our darkest days, help us to always live and believe in you,
so that we may enjoy everlasting life with you in heaven.
We pray in your holy name,
Amen.

Join Seeing the Word this Lenten season as we take a prayerful look into the ministry of Jesus Christ through the lens of The Saint John’s Bible. The weekly posts will feature either a prayer or reflection paired with an illumination. All content was written by Jessie Bazan, M.Div. candidate.

Illumination: © Donald Jackson, 2002 The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

 

Written ReflectionWritten Reflection

Illuminating Lent: Raising of Lazarus

February 14, 2016 – February 20, 2016

WEEK ONE•DAY ONE

Reading
John 11:17, 21-27, 32-44

Listen to what word God has for you.

 

WEEK ONE•DAY TWO

Listening

There are many details of this story that easily perplex us. Perhaps the most blaring question is, why does Jesus wait two days before traveling nearby to see his dear friend, Lazarus, who is ill? On the other hand, there are some details that seem more straightforward and therefore cause us to engage them less. For example, when Jesus encounters the mourners, we have the well known line: “Jesus began to weep” (John 11:35). This phrase has become the tagline for Jesus’ share in human emotions and his deep capacity for empathy and grief. Yet this instance of tears that Jesus sheds does not so obviously convey grief over the loss of his friend, because Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead after all. Instead, the passage says “he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” (John 11:33). He was grieved by their resignation to the finality of Lazarus’ death, by their allowance for death to have the final say.

Jesus came to liberate humanity from the grips of the death—both physically and spiritually. Exclaiming that he is both the Resurrection and the life, he promises not only to resurrect our bodies on the last day but also that each setback we have in life need not send us in a tailspin to a premature death. Belief in Christ and his promises are integral to abiding in the fullness of life. Even though we may continue to question Jesus’ timing and have different ideas of when and how he should act in our lives, let us remain confident that he will act.

 

WEEK ONE•DAY THREE

Meditating

When Jesus asks Mary and those accompanying her where they had laid Lazarus’ body, they respond, “Lord, come and see” (John 11:34). It is as if they are thinking that they must show Jesus the tomb in order for him to finally understand the permanence of Lazarus’ death. But Jesus is not satisfied, he commands them to remove the stone from the tomb. With the hope to deter him, Martha then warns Jesus of the stench, which is certain to accompany a body that has been lifeless now for four days. Hoping it would be enough for Jesus to lay eyes on the tomb, the last thing they wanted was for him to actually open it and disrupt their mourning ritual.

Have you ever grown so comfortable with the less than desirable parts of your life that when Jesus offers to touch them and breathe life back into them, you shutter at the thought? Have you grown weary in believing that Jesus can truly do anything for you? Do you ever want take Jesus by the hand and show him all the tumultuous things with which you are dealing so as to prove it is impossible to live with a spirit of hope? Jesus is not ignorant or indifferent to the injustice humans inflict upon one another nor the hardships we face. Just because he does not always intercede during the most critical phases of our suffering, he is still with us and will still restore us to greater wholeness. Where do you place your trust?

 

WEEK ONE•DAY FOUR

Seeing

The death head moth situated near Lazarus’ figure brings to mind the idiom “like a moth to a flame,” serving to warn us of the dangers of our attractions. When modern journalism splashes the most horrific events that take place in our world across our pages and screens, we can easily succumb to belief that such traumatic occurrences are inevitably the norm. Instead of letting our culture lead us down the path of resignation to things that fail to bring us life, it is crucial to challenge our attractions and hold them up to see them as they are in the light of Christ. We empower the things on which we focus our attention.

As I acquaint myself with the view from within Lazarus’ tomb, I notice that these words “I am the Resurrection and the life” seem to be etched into the stone (John 11:25). But they clearly would not be visible until the stone is rolled away from the tomb and Jesus’ light floods through the tunnel. Because Jesus’ words are so much closer in the foreground than his tiny figure at the end of the tunnel, I am reminded how Jesus’ words often precede his actions in our lives. Many times we receive his promises, his covenant, and his truth before we see the fruits of Christ’s words. We often find ourselves in periods waiting and longing for further fulfillment. In the meantime, let us cling to his light. What words has Jesus written on your heart? Invite his light in today and see what awaits you.

 

WEEK ONE•DAY FIVE

Prayer

Merciful Lord, you have created us with tender and impressionable hearts. Yet sometimes our circumstances harden our hearts toward you and toward one another. We erect barriers, walls, and fortresses out of self-protection only then to find ourselves imprisoned in isolation. As our gracious protector, show us the way out. We long to emerge from the darkness, but parts of us have grown comfortable here. Your light is alluring; your glory is attractive. Yet sometimes it seems to overwhelm us. You care for us through it all, even when our desire is to retreat from your presence. Thank you for respecting our boundaries and our freedom; your gentleness is astounding. As you call humanity away from the grips of death, and you summon us each by name, strengthen our resolve to accept your healing grace and the helping hands of those you send to unbind us. Gather your people, Lord, so that together we may unite our efforts to loosen the bonds of the most prevalent evils oppressing our brothers and sisters across the globe. We pray that in this season of Lent we may come into deeper alignment with your will and act accordingly. Fortify us so that we may not only point people toward the hope of the resurrection, but also share the good news that life begins anew daily when we abide in you.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

WEEK ONE•DAY SIX

Contemplating

Jesus, you said to Martha, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). And then you followed this with a question: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). Your voice carries over the centuries and your words reverberate within me as I empty myself before you. “Do you believe this? Do you believe me when I speak?” Your voice is gentle, not accusatory. But it is also eager, hopeful, as it is so evident how great your love is for me. I long to believe your words, Lord, more than just saying that I do. Help me in my unbelief. Release me from the cloths that bind me and immobilize me. Fill me with your powerful light that casts out any shadows of doubt. May it spill over and illuminate any darkness I encounter.

 

WEEK ONE•DAY SEVEN

Becoming Christ-like

When Jesus told the disciples that he wanted to go to Judea to see Lazarus, they cautioned him because Jesus had just nearly escaped being stoned there by the Jews. He went anyway. When Jesus stood before Lazarus’ tomb, Martha tried to deter him from opening it. He proceeded anyway. Neither the threat of his death nor the ritual uncleanliness, which would occur from entering the tomb of a dead man, caused Jesus to waiver. May we, too, resist acclimating to the culture of death that seeks to entice us every which way we turn. Let us follow after Jesus, whose peaceful assurance to proceed without succumbing to fear is the type of determined presence our world craves.

Today and every day, Jesus summons us to come out. He encourages us to embody the purpose he intends for us. He invites us to rise, to welcome the help of those whose aid we need to unbind us as we recognize that we cannot do it on our own. Further, Jesus sends us to unbind those who are still bound.

Let us pray that we may free the mouths, hands, and feet of your faithful disciples, Lord, enabling all persons to serve you in the ways you have equipped us. And Jesus, as the objections and excuses arise within us as they inevitably will, amplify your truth in our hearts so that we may stand firm in your name. Pour out your blessings upon us so that we may be diligent in seeing your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

 


Rachel Gabelman is a Master of Divinity candidate at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary. She serves as a graduate assistant with Seeing the Word.