Fifth Sunday of Lent

22 March 2026

Collect Prayer

By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…

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Readings

 Ezekiel 37:12-14     Psalm 130    Romans 8:8-11   John 11:1-45  

John 11:1-45

At that time: the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’

He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be a smell, for he has been dead four days.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

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The Raising of Lazarus and the importance of Confession

St Augustine on the Raising of Lazarus, Tractate 49,24

[…] but when you make confession, you come forth. For what is this coming forth, but the open acknowledgment you make of your state, in quitting, as it were, the old refuges of darkness? But the confession you make is effected by God, when He cries with a loud voice, or in other words, calls you in abounding grace. Accordingly, when the dead man had come forth, still bound; confessing, yet guilty still; that his sins also might be taken away, the Lord said to His servants: Loose him, and let him go. What does He mean by such words? Whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. 

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Weekly News

Holy Week

Schedule posted at the entrance of the Church and on the homepage of this website.

Lenten Alms

We will support the Home for Disable Children “Niño Dios” in Bethlehem.

The Passion Of The Christ

We will project the film on Friday 27 March at 6:30 pm at the Shop. To join, please contact Fr. Ismael.

Hands of Hope, Hearts of Love

Children’s Lenten Gathering on 28 March in Larnaca. Age: 5–12. To join, please contact Fr. Ismael. More information on the board.

Caritas St. Paul's

Thank you for your prayers, contributions, food and clothes donations … we can also reuse your shopping bags. If you wish to volunteer, please, contact fr. Alessandro.

Pray For Vocations

The Latin Vicariate of Cyprus is dedicating a Year of Prayer for Vocations to the priesthood, religious, married or consecrated lives. Join us! For more information contact Sister Elizabeth (95983631 / pastoralcareofvocationscyprus@gmail.com)

Parish Community Shop

Refreshments, coffee and tea. Check our religious section for rosaries, Christmas Cards, scapulars, devotionals, etc. Check also our books sections. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet other parishioners and grow as community. All funds will go to the building of the new Church. If you’d like to volunteer, please talk to Fr. Ismael.

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Lenten Mass schedule

16 March - 22 March

Mon: No Mass;

Tue, Thu, Masses at 9:00am in Agia Kyriaki

Wed: Mass at 12:00pm in Agia Kyriaki

Fri: Mass at 11:30am followed by Stations of The Cross

Saturday: Masses at 4:30pm (AK); 6:15pm (town of Polis)

Sunday: Masses at 10am, 11am & 12pm (AK)

Eucharistic Adoration: Wed at 10:50am in AK; Thu at 6pm in AK

Holy Rosary: Sat at 4pm in AK

Filipino Mass on last Sunday of the month at 12pm.

Sri-Lankan Mass on 3rd Sunday of the month, 12pm (Presbitery chapel)

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Prayer for Vocation to Priesthood

Almighty and eternal God, in your unfailing love you provide ministers for your Church. We pray for those whom you call to serve the Church of Cyprus as priest and deacon. Inspire in them a generous response. Grant them courage and vision to serve your people.

May their lives and service inspire your people to recognize the presence of your Spirit among us and to answer his call. May they, faithful to the Gospel and with hope in Jesus Christ, announce glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, set prisoners free, and renew the face of the earth.

Amen.