LITURGICAL STUDY — PASSION SUNDAY -Novus Ordo — YEAR A - 3/22/2026
Theme: From Death to Life: The God Who Calls the Dead to Rise
As Lent enters its final phase, the liturgy shifts decisively from preparation to confrontation. Passiontide begins to emerge in tone and substance. The Church no longer speaks primarily of conversion in general terms, but of the radical reality that sin leads to death—and that Christ alone has authority over both sin and death.
The readings for this Sunday center upon resurrection—not yet Christ’s own, but the raising of Lazarus. This miracle stands as the climactic “sign” in the Gospel of John, revealing not only Christ’s power but His identity as the Lord of life itself.
Humanity’s deepest wound is not merely moral failure but mortality itself, the consequence of sin. Yet into this condition, Christ speaks a word that reverses the sentence of death. The voice that called creation into being now calls the dead out of the tomb.
Thus, the Lenten journey arrives at its decisive revelation: salvation is not improvement—it is resurrection.¹ ² ³
READINGS
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12–14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130
Second Reading: Romans 8:8–11
Gospel: John 11:1–45 — The Raising of Lazarus
1. FIRST READING — Ezekiel 37:12–14
The Promise of Resurrection
The prophet Ezekiel speaks to Israel in exile—a people who perceive themselves as cut off, lifeless, and without hope. Into this despair, God declares:
“I will open your graves and have you rise from them.”
This is not merely metaphorical language. While it applies immediately to the restoration of Israel, it also points toward a deeper theological truth: God is Lord even over death.
Aquinas teaches that God alone is the source of life, since life is a participation in being itself, which ultimately derives from God (ST I, q.18).⁴ Therefore, resurrection is not an anomaly but a manifestation of divine sovereignty over creation.
This passage anticipates not only the general resurrection but the specific act of Christ raising Lazarus. It reveals that death, though real, is not ultimate.
Moreover, magisterial teaching affirms that the hope of resurrection is intrinsic to divine revelation. As articulated in Spe Salvi, Christian hope is not vague optimism but confidence in the definitive victory over death.⁵
Thus, Ezekiel prepares the faithful to recognize that what appears impossible is, in fact, the proper domain of divine action.
2. RESPONSORIAL PSALM — Psalm 130
From the Depths I Cry to You
Psalm 130 is one of the Church’s most profound penitential psalms:
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.”
The “depths” signify not only suffering but the condition of sin and its consequence—death. The psalm expresses the cry of humanity aware of its inability to save itself.
Yet the psalm does not end in despair. It moves toward hope:
“With the Lord is mercy and fullness of redemption.”
Aquinas explains that mercy is the greatest attribute of God in relation to creatures, because it presupposes misery and overcomes it (ST I, q.21).⁶ Thus, the cry from the depths is not futile—it is precisely what elicits divine action.
The psalm also introduces the theme of waiting—an essential element of the Lenten journey. Redemption unfolds according to divine timing, not human impatience.
In the context of Passion Sunday, this waiting becomes more intense. The Church stands at the threshold of the Passion, knowing that redemption will come—but only through the apparent defeat of the Cross.
3. SECOND READING — Romans 8:8–11
The Spirit Who Gives Life
St. Paul contrasts life “in the flesh” with life “in the Spirit,” culminating in a profound promise:
“He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also.”
This passage reveals that resurrection is not merely a future event but a present reality begun through grace.
Aquinas teaches that sanctifying grace is a participation in the divine life, elevating the soul beyond its natural capacity (ST I–II, q.110).⁷ Thus, the Christian already possesses the seed of eternal life.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the principle of this transformation. The same Spirit who raised Christ operates within the believer, gradually conforming him to the life of God.
Magisterially, this aligns with the teaching that grace is both restorative and elevating—it heals the wound of sin and elevates the soul toward supernatural destiny.⁸
Thus, Paul bridges the gap between present conversion and future resurrection. The life of grace is already a participation in victory over death.
4. GOSPEL — John 11:1–45
Lazarus: The Sign of Divine Authority Over Death
The raising of Lazarus is the culmination of Christ’s public ministry in the Gospel of John. Unlike previous miracles, this act directly confronts death itself.
Several theological dimensions unfold:
A. The Delay of Christ
Christ intentionally delays His arrival, allowing Lazarus to die. This reveals a crucial principle: divine providence often permits suffering in order to bring about a greater good.
Aquinas explains that God allows evil to exist so that a greater good may emerge from it (ST I, q.2, a.3).⁹ The death of Lazarus becomes the occasion for a greater revelation of Christ’s glory.
B. “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”
This declaration is one of the most profound Christological statements in Scripture. Christ does not merely give life—He is life.
This aligns with the metaphysical understanding of Christ as the source of being itself. In Thomistic terms, Christ possesses life essentially, not by participation.
C. The Call from the Tomb
“Lazarus, come out.”
This command echoes the creative word of God in Genesis. Just as God called the world into existence, Christ calls Lazarus out of death.
The Fathers frequently interpret this as a symbol of spiritual resurrection—Christ calling the sinner out of the grave of sin.
D. The Reaction of the Crowd
Some believe; others plot His death. Thus, the miracle becomes the immediate cause of the Passion.
Light provokes division. Truth demands a response.
5. THEOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS — The God Who Raises the Dead
The readings form a unified progression:
Ezekiel promises resurrection.
The Psalm cries out from death’s depths.
Paul explains the life of the Spirit.
John reveals Christ as the Lord of life.
Together they present salvation as resurrection—not metaphorical, but real.
6. PRACTICAL APPLICATION — Living as Those Raised
Passion Sunday confronts the faithful with a question:
Do we live as those still in the tomb, or as those already called forth?
The Christian life requires:
Faith in Christ’s authority over death
Participation in grace through the sacraments
Detachment from sin, which leads to death
The sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, function as encounters with the same Christ who called Lazarus forth.
The Voice That Calls Us Forth
Lazarus emerges from the tomb still bound in burial cloths.
Christ commands:
“Untie him and let him go.”
So too, the Christian is raised by grace—but must be freed from the remnants of sin.
Passion Sunday stands at the threshold of the Cross, revealing that the One who will die is also the One who commands life.
ENDNOTES
Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1008–1014
Catechism of the Catholic Church, §994–1004
Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, §10–12
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, q.18
Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, §33
St. Thomas Aquinas, ST I, q.21, a.3
St. Thomas Aquinas, ST I–II, q.110
Council of Trent, Session VI (Decree on Justification)
St. Thomas Aquinas, ST I, q.2, a.3
