! Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after

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1 ! Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Could it be that our Lord was guilty of criminal negligence causing death? The Canadian Code of Criminal Law states Every one is criminally negligent who...in omitting to do anything that it is his duty to do, shows wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons. Jesus Himself is the one who claimed that He had come that all might have life and repeatedly He demonstrated that He had the power to save life and restore it. How, then, could He possibly justify receiving news that one of His closest friends was nearing death and intentionally delay coming to his aid? It sounds criminally negligent! This episode with Lazarus is a perfect demonstration of the sort of way that our Lord deals with life on this planet. As stark and hard to hear as it may be, sometimes, He just lets things die. Death is inevitable so it is not as though staving it off for any length of time is an actual solution. Bear in mind, Lazarus lived again, and certainly also died again. Jesus let him die precisely so that He could show forth His power by bringing him back to life. And in bringing him back to life, he would eventually die of another or the same cause. It is the great circle of life, as it has been called.! One might stop and wonder if it is only human lives that the Lord deals with in this way. What if, for instance, we could say that an entire generation or 1

2 civilization might be treated by similar means? Is it possible that sometimes, despite desperate pleading like that of Martha and Mary, the Lord might still permit the death of an entire culture? Since the highly influential encyclical letter of St. John Paul II in 1995, Evangelium Vitae- The Gospel of Life- we have become accustomed to using his phrase a culture of death when describing certain modern and troubling trends. It stands to reason, therefore, that in speaking of a culture of death, we could equally speak of the death of a culture.! We face such times as these right now in Canada, and indeed, the whole Western world. It is effectively cultural suicide. The circumstances we find ourselves in now are but another reminder of the slow and painful death we are facing in a relativistic age which seeks to undermine the very fabric upon which we are founded and to engineer a new future which prides itself on having destroyed anything traditional and conventional.! Is it any surprise, then, that a battle we fight right now is against the evil of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide? Last year the Supreme Court of Canada determined that it was unconstitutional to prevent people from taking their lives and therefore, by extension, that someone who wishes they could, but lacks the capacity to do so, is being unduly prevented from exercising his right if no one comes forward to help him kill himself. Last month, the special parliamentary committee tasked with investigating this situation far exceeded the 2

3 relatively narrow definition which the Supreme Court wanted to see made available and went so far as to propose that not only those who suffer incurable and painful terminal diseases may access assisted suicide, but that eventually, even youths- without parental consent- should have legal access to assisted suicide for even mental anguish or suffering. What is this world coming to?! What it is coming to is the moment of its death; at least in part. The Marthas and Marys of our times, especially symbolized by the teaching office of the Church, have come before our Lord in tears begging and pleading with Him to spare our generation from the impending death about to befall us; or rather, which we are about to inflict upon ourselves. Until now, it would seem His answer has been the same as it was to the sisters for their brother: silence and waiting. A passive omission resulting in death.! The two days He allowed to pass before leaving for Bethany was intentionally to allow Lazarus to die. He knew full well the great good which was about to come from this tragedy. Jesus tells the apostles who were confounded by His inaction, Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. With all of the prayers in our country and the intercession of the saints on our behalf, begging our Lord to prevent our nation from continuing to plunge deeper into moral peril, it is almost as if He is intentionally putting off an intervention until He can say, Canada is dead. 3

4 ! Likewise, we must be consoled to hear Him say, For your sake I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. The times and circumstances which are upon us are dire indeed- even to the point of literal death; not just spiritual death but the legislated and publicly endorsed killing of those who have determined their lives are no longer worth living. This analogy specifically points out what is wrong with euthanasia: the administration of lethal means by a doctor to a dying patient; and assisted suicide: the making available of lethal drugs to kill oneself at their own choosing.! Suppose our Lord had gone to Bethany when word was sent to Him of Lazarusʼ illness. Upon finding His dear friend sick and suffering, nearing death, Jesus took some poison and poured it into Lazarusʼ mouth so that he would die. But then, He raised him back to life! Would we even still consider that a miracle? Would it not seem more like some sort of barbaric stunt? If we cannot possibly conceive of Christ ushering in someoneʼs death in order to bring about the greater good of demonstrating a miracle, how in our right minds can we defend the sanctioned administration of lethal medicine to bring about someone elseʼs death in order to bring about the good of relieving their suffering? Not only is this irrational, it is purely evil. Instead, our Lord allowed nature to run its course so that Lazarus could die. Then, and only then, did He raise Him back to life. 4

5 ! My dear sisters and brothers, it would seem that God has seen fit to allow nature to run its course yet again, though this time, not for a particular man but for our entire nation. Western civilization as we know it stands upon the threshold of death, and we ourselves are the murderers. This is not to say that we should not pray for better outcomes and strive diligently to oppose the evil which hems us in on every side. Rather, I say this to shed a ray of hope upon seemingly hopeless situations.! Lazarus was allowed to die with the plan in mind of bringing him back to life. The death and utter collapse of western culture as we know it may simply be the necessary step before itʼs revival to new life. We have read this gospel in the context of the third and final scrutiny of Lent, the proximate preparation of the Catechumens of our Church for full Communion as brothers and sisters of ours in Christ. They stand tall as beacons of hope that in an ever shriveling and decaying culture, the Church grows healthier and stronger each year. The West may be about to die as we know it; but perhaps soon after, our childrenʼs children will live again as we could never possibly imagine it now. 5