What chains weigh us down? What sins have we grown comfortable with in our lives? Is it battling against the sin of pride, falling into the sin of gluttony, struggling with lust, embracing laziness? Or is it cursing too much, lying to get ahead, harboring hate toward someone? What chains weigh us down?

So often in our lives, we can become accustomed to giving into certain temptations, so much so that they kind of become a part of who we are, a part of our routine. We become so comfortable with them that we simply can’t resist them. Then we come to the season of Lent, which is supposed to be a time when we focus on these aspects of ourselves and ask the Lord to help us to break free. It’s a time when we honestly examine our lives and identify those chains that tie us to a life of sin. It’s a season of penance meant to get us back on track in our relationship with Jesus.

But how many of us struggle with those Lenten penances? Actually following through with our Lenten sacrifices isn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be! It means we giving up control of our lives to God. I don’t know about you, but I HATE giving up control. Most of us do! Despite that, though, there is something deep within each of us that calls us out of ourselves – it’s a person, really. It’s Jesus, He is calling us to be raised from death into newness of life.

In the Gospel today, Jesus has returned to Bethany after receiving the news that his friend Lazarus had died. By the time He arrives at the tomb, death had firmly taken its hold on Lazarus. His body had begun to decay and decompose. He has been dead for four days, yet the Lord tells the people to roll away the stone. Martha says to Jesus: “But, Lord, he’s going to stink.” Imagine that stench! And yet, Jesus still calls Lazarus to come out.

Now, imagine the state of our souls when we are shackled to a life of sin. They can look and smell pretty awful, don’t you think? But Jesus still comes to break our chains, to free us from the weight of sin. He comes to call us out of the tomb and raises us to new life….a life of faith, hope, and love which can only be found in Him. And the beautiful part is that He calls each of us individually by name. He calls us by name. Do we hear His voice and respond? Do we have the courage to give up control, to allow Jesus to work within us? Do we come out from the tomb like Lazarus?

When Lazarus emerges, his hands and feet were bound and his head covered with a cloth. Imagine trying to walk in newness of life while still being shackled to our former ways. It’s not possible! Jesus then tells those around Lazarus to “untie him and let him go.” The Lord recognizes that we can’t release the shackles from our hands and feet on our own. We can’t remove the cloth that blinds us to the reality of His love without His intervention. One-by-one He slowly unwraps the bonds and finally…removes our chains and casts them aside.

As we enter into these final days of Lent, this is our time to embrace a profound moment of conversion, allowing God’s love to fill every part of our hearts. In our prayer this week, let’s ask the Lord to make us open to receive the grace that await us in the Resurrection. Pray that the Lord will come into our hearts and free us from the chains that weigh us down and drag us back into the way of sin. May this upcoming Easter season be a time of great rejoicing as we emerge from our former ways and walk in newness of life with the Lord who loves us.

Photo: Chain, Aida L. Used under Unsplash license.