Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year A)

First Reading - Ezekiel 37.11-14

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel. The people are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is gone.’ But the Lord God says, ‘I will bring you up from your graves. I will put my spirit within you, and you will live. And I will lead you back to the promised land. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’ This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 8.6-11

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. To set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life, and peace. The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, and unable to follow God’s law. But your life now is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, with the spirit of God dwelling within you. For everyone who belongs to Christ has the spirit of Christ within. And though your body is dead, in sin, your spirit is alive in the righteousness of Christ. For the spirit of God, having raised Jesus from the dead, now dwells within you, to give life to your mortal body also. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - John 11.20b-45

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Jesus, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask.’ Jesus said to Martha, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know that he will rise again at the resurrection, on the last day.’ Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life. Those who live and believe in me will never die. And even if they die, they will live. Do you believe this?’

Martha said to Jesus, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who has come into the world.’ Then Martha went back into the village, and said to her sister Mary, ‘The Teacher is here, and is calling for you.’ Mary left the house, and went quickly to the place outside the village where Martha had met with Jesus. Those who had been consoling Mary thought she was going to the tomb, to weep, so they also left the house, and followed her. When Mary saw Jesus, she knelt at his feet, and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw Mary weeping, and those who were with her, also weeping, he was deeply moved. Jesus asked them, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus also began to weep, leading some to say, ‘See how he loved him!’ But others said, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind. Surely he could have kept Lazarus from dying.’ Jesus arrived at the tomb, greatly distressed. It was a cave, with a stone across the entrance. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha said, ‘Lord, it will be unpleasant; he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus replied, ‘Those who believe will see the glory of God.’ So they took away the stone. For the sake of the gathered crowd, so that they would understand that this was the work of the Father, Jesus looked up, and said, ‘Father, I thank you for hearing me’. Then Jesus shouted into the cave, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And Lazarus came out of the cave, his hands and his feet still bound in strips of linen, and a cloth around his head. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ Many of those who had been comforting Mary saw what Jesus did, and came to believe in him. This is the Gospel of the Lord.