Jul 29 – Memorial for Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus
St Martha
Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judaea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Jesus explained to her that certain souls, called by God, should choose a better part still — the primary duty of listening to Him and contemplating Him.
After His Ascension, she was seized by the Jews, together with many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles. Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the Marseilles people by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew with several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence.
St. Lazarus
The account of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus, led to his widespread veneration in Jerusalem, which was witnessed by the Spanish pilgrim Egeria in 390.
Nothing more is written about him in the New Testament. According to tradition however, the Jews of Jaffa placed Lazarus and his sisters in a leaky boat in which they somehow sailed safely to Cyprus. He said to have become a bishop on the island and died there peacefully 30 years later.
- Excerpted from Independent Catholic News
St Mary of Bethany
Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus of the town of Bethany, just a few miles away from Jerusalem. At some point, Jesus had developed a special friendship with these three siblings and had gone to their house for a visit. During the visit, Mary became engrossed in all Jesus had to say. She sat at his feet, listening attentively, apparently oblivious to her sister, Martha, who scurried about with serving duties. The frustrated Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not being helpful. Profoundly, Jesus replied that it was Mary who had made the better choice — that spiritual matters have a much higher priority than household chores.
Jer 15:10,16-21
Jn 11:19-27
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Some time ago, I watched a particularly memorable episode of a home improvement show on television. It featured a woman who was a full-time caregiver to her elderly parents and adult daughter. Her parents were not mentally alert nor communicative, while her daughter had a developmental disability and was unable to take care of herself. This woman’s entire life was consumed by care-giving duties. She functioned on very little sleep and single-handedly tackled an endless and exhausting list of responsibilities daily. This kind of trying circumstance is certainly not unique to her, but what struck me was her cheerfulness amidst it all. There was a joy that radiated from her with no trace of self-pity nor sorrow about her family’s situation. I found that I could not relate to this positivity, as all I felt was anguish and sympathy towards her plight.
The gospel passage for today contains a profound message about one’s attitude towards suffering. Martha, being typically more proactive than her sister Mary, approaches Jesus in her grief over her brother’s death. Although it might appear on the surface that she is blaming Jesus for not being present to save Lazarus from death, that is not actually the case. In her lamentation, Martha is stating her belief that Jesus is the one who has the power to heal her brother from whatever ailment or condition he had. Additionally, even while in the fresh throes of her grief, she still expresses hope that Jesus can petition God to undo the fate of Lazarus (Jn 11:22). In this moment, Martha has an incomplete knowledge of who Jesus is and His divinity. Jesus then guides her to the truth — that He is the resurrection and the life. All this took place before the eventual raising of Lazarus from the dead.
What can we learn about the Christian attitude towards suffering in this passage? The first point is to bring our grief, disappointment, hurt, shame and/or guilt directly to Jesus. Martha did not shy away nor hide her raw sorrow from Jesus. The second point is to continue to trust in the Lord, moving beyond seeking a solution to an immediate problem, to placing our hope in God who remains faithful even when life is difficult. He assures us that this suffering is not meaningless and does not define the end of our stories — “…whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn 11:26).
Brothers and sisters, when we truly trust that death is not the final word and that God is at work, even in our darkest moments, we will be able to endure our present trials with grace and, even, joy.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when suffering clouds our vision, help us to place our hope in you. Give us the grace to trust in your promises, to bring every sorrow honestly before you, and to keep our eyes fixed on the eternal life you have prepared for us.
Thanksgiving: Dearest Father, we thank you for the gift of your Son, who is the resurrection and the life. Thank you for your faithful presence in every season of our lives and for the hope that nothing can separate us from your love.
OXYGEN 
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