Hit By The Shadow Of The Cross.

HIT… BY THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS… (Inspired by the Lazarus story below). Fr. Nigel W.D. Mumford+
I seem to have a close fascination with Lazarus. I so wish he had
written a book, I’d love to know what he went through. The line in the
reflection below writes, “Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death.” That is very true for me. I’ve had some amazing experiences and visions, one when I literally crawled through the valley of the shadow of death, it was no shadow, it was very real. The Rev. Donald Barnhouse said, on the way to his wife’s funeral, “Would you rather be hit by a truck, or by the shadow a truck?” While he explained grief at the loss of his wife to his daughters. I now realize that as I did, in fact crawl through the valley, Jesus was with me all the way. Jesus, from the Cross watched me. I now know that I was in the “shadow of the Cross” while being hit by the truck of H1N1 swine flu and that we will be raised again, just like Lazarus. I know that my Redemer lives.
~Fr. Nigel W.D. Mumford+
Read more in book, “Dying to Live, how near death experiences increase our faith.”
Lazarus’ Story. ~Franciscan Media
Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was the one of whom the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
Legends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years.
A church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles, was martyred after making a number of converts, and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146.
It is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday.
Reflection
Many people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t share Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless, we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus, who waits to raise us, too.
~Franciscan Media