Memorial Of Saints Martha, Mary, And Lazarus

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. In these three Saints, we see an unwavering faith in Jesus. Even in the face of tragedy, the death of their brother Lazarus, Mary and Martha’s faith remains firm.

Gospel - John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary

to comfort them about their brother (Lazarus, who had died).

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,

she went to meet him;

but Mary sat at home.

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 of God,

God will give you.”

Jesus said to her,

“Your brother will rise.”

Martha said to him,

“I know he will rise,

in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus told her,

“I am the resurrection and the life;

whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,

and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord.

I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,

the one who is coming into the world.”

Scriptural Analysis

As Jesuses neared the outskirts of Bethany, he learned that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. This time frame is significant. Some ancient Jews believed that the soul of the deceased left the area after three days, and therefore, there could be no question that Lazarus was truly dead.

In the verse immediately preceding this Gospel passage, we are reminded that Bethany is near Jerusalem. This is a dangerous area for Jesus. Some in Jerusalem have already tried to stone him to death. Many of those who have come to comfort Mary and Martha are from Jerusalem. However, the response of those who are there will be much different given the great sign that Jesus is about to work.

Upon hearing of Jesus’s arrival, Martha runs out to meet the Lord while Mary remains at home mourning the loss of her brother. This is reminiscent of Luke’s account of Mary and Martha, where it is Martha who approaches the Lord with her concerns while Mary remains at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42) As Marta meets the Lord, she takes an almost confrontational approach. She tells them that if he had arrived on time, then her brother would still be there. Yet she still holds hope and confidence in his ability to heal her brother: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

Jesus’s response that her brother will rise refers to the resurrection of the dead, which was an established Jewish belief in the first century. Martha agrees, stating that she knows he will rise on the last day. Jesus responds to Martha using the “I am” title, “I am the resurrection. He is the resurrection because whoever believes in him, even if he dies, will live. Jesus has promised to raise on the last day those who believe in Him and have consumed his body and blood in the Eucharist.

Jesus puts a question to Marta, “Do you believe this?” Does Martha truly believe that faith in Jesus will lead to eternal life? Martha responds like Peter’s profession of faith. She states, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” This phrase uses a series of titles for Jesus that have been previously used in the Gospel. (See John 1:34, 41, 49; 6:14)

Daily Application

Life will present us with some hard times. That is an unavoidable fact of the human condition. We will often experience tragedy in life. Perhaps a loved one will die. Maybe we will lose a job. A fire may destroy our home. Many of these tragedies will happen despite our prayers to God for a different outcome. I have said before that God answers all prayers, but he answers in the fashion that he knows is best for us and in his perfect time, which he knows is best for us. And by best for us, best for our salvation.

The challenge for us, in our finite understanding, is to remain faithful. When the tragedies of life strike us, do we remain steadfast in our faith? Do we continue to believe? Do we continue to profess as Martha did, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Do we remain faithful to Christ even when it seems like our life is collapsing and nothing is going as we would like it to?

Is it easy to have faith when things are going well? It is easy to say that you believe in Christ, that you would never deny Him when you are not faced with a trial or tragedy. It is another thing to hold firm in that faith when times are hard. That is why it is so essential in those good times to be faithful in your devotion to God. Get to Mass and Confession. Pray daily, especially a family Rosary as well as your Nightly Examen.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus spent enough time with Christ during the good times that their belief in him was firm. So when tragedy struck, their faith did not waver because they knew who Christ is. On this Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, let us resolve to remain disciplined in our faith during the good times so that we may stay strong in our faith in times of tragedy.