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Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
March 22, 2026
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download, in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel, a spiritual text and commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
5th Sunday of Lent
Resurrection of Lazarus, Giotto di Bondone (1306), fresco from The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Whoever believes in me,
even if he dies, he will live;
whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
John 11:25-26
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
Consult the Lectio Divina page, which invites you to read the Gospel in a prayerful atmosphere so that you may be touched in your heart. It is important not to rush to read commentaries or homilies before having this personal experience of encountering Christ in Scripture.
Next, if you wish, you can read the meditations below which will enrich your personal reading and meditation.
Meditation by Pope Francis
Today, the fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents us with the raising of Lazarus (cf. Jn 11:1-45). This is the last of the miracles of Jesus recounted before Easter: the raising of his friend Lazarus. Lazarus is a close friend of Jesus, who knows that he is about to die; he sets out, but arrives home four days after the burial, when all hope seems lost. His presence, however, rekindles a little confidence in the hearts of his sisters Martha and Mary (cf. vv. 22, 27). They cling to this light, to this small hope, even in their grief. And Jesus invites them to have faith and asks them to open the tomb. Then he prays to the Father and calls out to Lazarus, “Come out!” (v. 43). Lazarus comes back to life and leaves. This is the miracle, simple as it is.
The message is clear: Jesus gives life even when there seems to be no hope left. Sometimes we feel hopeless—it's happened to everyone—or we meet people who have given up hope, who are bitter because they have experienced hardship, their wounded hearts unable to hope anymore. Because of a painful loss, an illness, a bitter disappointment, a wrong or betrayal suffered, a serious mistake made… they have stopped hoping. Sometimes we hear people say, "There's nothing left to do!" and they close the door on all hope. These are times when life resembles a sealed tomb: everything is dark, all we see around us is sadness and despair. Today's miracle tells us that this is not the case, that in these moments, we are not alone; on the contrary, it is precisely in these moments that He draws closer than ever to give us life again. Jesus weeps: the Gospel tells us that Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb, and today Jesus weeps with us, just as he wept for Lazarus. The Gospel twice reiterates that he was moved with emotion (cf. vv. 33, 38) and emphasizes that he began to weep (cf. v. 35). At the same time, Jesus invites us not to cease believing and hoping, not to let ourselves be crushed by negative feelings that stifle tears. He approaches our tombs and says to us, as he did then, "Take away the stone" (v. 39). In these moments, we feel as if we have a stone inside us, and the only one capable of removing it is Jesus, with his words: "Take away the stone."
This is what Jesus says to each of us as well. Remove the stone: the pain, the mistakes, even the failures, don't hide them inside, in a dark, lonely, closed room. Remove the stone: bring out everything that's inside, "But I am ashamed." Cast it into me with confidence, says the Lord, I am not scandalized: cast it into me without fear, because I am with you, I love you, and I want you to come back to life. And, as with Lazarus, he repeats to each of us: Come out! Get up, get back on the path, regain your confidence! How many times in life have we found ourselves like this, in this situation of not having the strength to get up. And Jesus says: "Go, move forward! I will take you by the hand," says Jesus, "like when you were a child, learning to take your first steps." Dear brother, dear sister, remove the bandages that bind you (cf. v. 45), please, do not give in to the pessimism that depresses, do not give in to the fear that isolates, do not give in to the discouragement brought on by the memory of bad experiences, do not give in to the fear that paralyzes. Jesus tells us: “I want you free, I want you alive, I will not abandon you and I am with you! Everything is dark, but I am with you! Do not let yourself be imprisoned by pain, do not let hope die. Brother, sister, come back to life!” — “And how can I do that?” — “Take my hand. Let yourself go outside: and He is able to do it. In these difficult times that come to us all.”
Dear brothers and sisters, this passage from chapter 11 of the Gospel of John, which is so good to read, is a hymn to life, and we proclaim it as Easter approaches. Perhaps we too, at this moment, are carrying in our hearts a burden or a suffering that seems to crush us; something bad, an old sin we can't seem to let go of, a youthful mistake—you never know. These bad things must come out. And Jesus says, “Come out!” So, the time has come to remove the stone and go to meet Jesus, who is near. Are we able to open our hearts to him and entrust him with our worries? Do we do it? Are we able to open the tomb of our problems, are we capable of it, and look beyond the threshold, toward his light, or are we afraid of that? And in our turn, as small mirrors of God's love, are we able to illuminate the environments in which we live with words and gestures of life? Do we bear witness to the hope and joy of Jesus? We, sinners, all of us? And again, I would like to say a word to the confessors: dear brothers, do not forget that you too are sinners, and you are in the confessional not to torture, but to forgive, and to forgive everything, as the Lord forgives everything; May Mary, Mother of Hope, renew in us the joy of not feeling alone and the call to bring light into the darkness that surrounds us.
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POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, March 26, 2023
[ Multimedia ]
Homily
Draw from the source
We are approaching the end of Lent. The biblical readings for this Sunday offer us a glimpse of the joy of Easter, the victory of life over death. We are invited to participate in this victory by committing ourselves to the service of peace and life. As every year, CCFD calls us to fight against the suffering and inequalities that mark our world. We see it clearly: the poor are becoming poorer and more numerous. International news is dominated by violence, conflict, and the distress of those fleeing their homeland in search of peace. It is important to be attentive to the cries from here and elsewhere. CCFD-Terre Solidaire invites us this year to be moved by the cries of the world and to transform them into shared hope.
For this struggle, we turn to the Lord. The biblical texts for this Sunday seek to help us. First, we have the first reading, which takes us back to the fourth century BC. The people of Israel are in great distress because they are deported to a land of exile. But the prophet Ezekiel intervenes to rekindle the hope of the exiles. God will open the tomb into which this people has been swallowed up. He will bring them back to the land of Israel. This will be the victory of life over death. Through this biblical text, we already have an introduction to the idea of resurrection.
There is a word that recurs frequently in the Old Testament and the Gospel: the verb "to come out." We discover a God who brings his people out of Egypt; he announces that he will raise them from their tombs: "I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live." The Gospel also speaks to us of a God who goes out. We all know the parable of the sower who went out to sow. And we mustn't forget the master who goes out to hire workers until the eleventh hour. Today, CCFD invites us to emerge from our indifference and passivity. As in the time of Moses, the Lord sees the misery of his people and sends us to free them from all that destroys them.
In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Spirit who delivers us from the power of the flesh. In his language, he refers to the weaknesses of the human condition and to sin. We are called to live under the guidance of the Spirit. Through this message, he directs us back to the divine life sown within us. It is the pledge of our resurrection. It is life that triumphs over death. Day by day, we become more attentive, more compassionate, and more generous. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we learn to open our eyes, our hands, and our hearts.
This Sunday's Gospel tells us about Lazarus's journey from the tomb. Through this extraordinary act, Jesus fully expresses his power over death. The disciples know that this journey to Jerusalem is a march toward death. Despite their disbelief, he wants them to understand that this road will end with the victory of life.
From this Gospel, we must especially remember Jesus' solemn declaration: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even though they die, will live." Then we have Martha's response: "Yes, Lord, I believe." Reading this Gospel, we become aware of an important reality: it is not only Lazarus who must be raised from his tomb; it is all of humanity that must be delivered from death. We are all called to come out of our selfishness, our indifference, our sin. As with Lazarus, the Lord says to us all: "Come out!"
A mere return to life only postpones the inevitable. Christ wants to bring us forth into another life. He calls us to a new life. This will be the triumph of life over death. It is a life that will not pass away. But first and foremost, we must heed Christ's call to raise us from our tomb. With him, we experience the wondrous event of life's victory over death. We are invited to live this Lent as a passage toward a life that is more just, more compassionate, more open to God and to others. With Christ, we can always overcome our fears and rediscover the courage and hope to move forward. It is with him that we must rise again each day.
Today, the same Christ is counting on us to participate in this work of liberation. Many of our brothers and sisters are as if they were locked in tombs. We think of all those who are oppressed, unemployed, hungry, or sick. We believe that the Lord can open these tombs. But we also know that his word and his actions depend on our commitment.
CCFD Terre Solidaire calls on us to transform the world's clamor into hope. It is unacceptable that men, women, and children remain trapped in their precarious situation. Christ teaches us to listen and to be moved by their suffering. He invites us to open our hearts, our eyes, our ears, and our hands. The swaddling clothes that bound Lazarus are a symbol of our selfishness, our coldness, and our indifference. This is what Jesus wants to free us from.
By calling Lazarus to come outside, Jesus is also addressing all people. He calls them all by name. With him, death cannot have the last word. It has become a passage, a gateway to eternity. On this day, we make Martha's profession of faith our own: "I believe, Lord; you are the Son of God who comes to save the world."
Sources: Feu Nouveau Review, Prions en Église Notebook, Homilies of the Liturgical Year (Simon Faivre) – CCFD Documents
Understanding the readings
with Marie-Noëlle THABUT
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