Saturday Fifth Week of Lent
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Ezekiel 37:12-14, Psalm 130:1-8 Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45
John 11:11
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him…”
I never realized how much those words would mean to me, until March 1999. Our son, Roy, was sick, with what we thought was “just the flu.” He went to the doctor but was just not getting any better. On March 11th, I had to use a wheelchair to get him into the doctor’s office, at which time, they immediately admitted him to the hospital. On Sunday, he was placed in a coma and put on a ventilator. On Wednesday, March 17th, which was Ash Wednesday (frankly, I wasn’t aware of what day it was), we were told Roy only had a 3 to 5% chance of survival.
On Saturday, March 20th, Bob drug me away from the hospital to 5:30 Mass. The gospel reading was “The Raising of Lazarus.” I was an emotional mess, sobbing in the pew. Little did I know what God had planned for Roy! Monday, March 22nd, was our 25th wedding anniversary, and we were supposed to be on the beach in Hawaii renewing our vows. That morning, our doctor came into the waiting room, sat down with us, took our hands, and said Roy had turned the corner, and he believed he would be okay! What an anniversary gift that was!
Later that week, Roy was taken off the ventilator and recovery began. Father Fred came to see him that same afternoon. Roy told Father Fred, “Jesus was standing at the foot of my bed, and he told me I was going to be alright!”
“Lazarus, come out… Untie him and let him go.”
Every one of us has a Bible reading which lives in our heart. Each of us will suffer a physical death; what we must not do is suffer a spiritual death. Loose your earthly bindings and walk through eternity with the Lord.
Kathy Galinak is married has been married to Bob for 49 years and have attended Holy Family for 43 years. They have two grown sons, Roy and Ben, eight grandchildren and one adorable great-grandson, Jaxon.
