Wednesday, May 25 : Saint Peter Chrysologus

“When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled…” Mary is weeping, the Jews are weeping, even Christ is weeping, but do you think they all feel the same sorrow? Mary, the dead man’s sister, weeps because she could not hold on to her brother or keep him from dying. She may well be convinced of the resurrection but the loss of her best support, the thought of his cruel absence, the sadness of long separation all cause tears to well up that she cannot restrain… The implacable picture of death cannot fail to touch and overcome us, however great our faith. The Jews were also weeping at the remembrance of their mortal condition because they despaired of eternity… Mere mortals cannot fail to weep before death. Which of these reasons for sadness held Christ in its grip? None? Then why is he weeping? He had said: “Lazarus is dead, and I rejoice”… But see how he sheds mortal tears at the very moment of communicating the Spirit of life once more! My brethren, such is man! Tears well up when he is affected by joy as much as by sorrow, … Christ did not weep for the desolation of death but at the memory of happiness, he who with his word, only one word, was to awaken all the dead to eternal life (Jn 5,48)… How could we think that Christ would have wept from human weakness when the heavenly Father weeps for his prodigal son, not when he departs but at the moment of finding him again? (Lk 15,20)… He allowed Lazarus to die because he desired to raise the dead man as a manifestation of his glory. He allowed his friend to descend to the region of the dead that God might appear in his bringing the man back from hell.

maronite readings – rosary,team