FEAST OF ST. MARTHA

July 29, 2025 Feast of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus John 11:19–27 In Scripture, Bethany is not just a location—it is a sacred symbol of love, hospitality, and deep faith. Its name means House of Charity, and true to that name, it became a home where Jesus was welcomed not just with affection but with believing hearts. In the face of her brother Lazarus’s death, Martha emerges as a woman of profound faith, declaring to Jesus, “Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, He will give you.” Her statement is powerful because it rises out of grief, not certainty, proving that faith is not the absence of pain but trust in the midst of it. Martha’s faith reminds us that God listens even in our most desperate moments. Her trust turned Bethany into a place where the impossible became possible. She didn’t demand a miracle, but she believed that even death was not beyond God’s power. And Jesus responded—not only by raising Lazarus but by revealing Himself as the Resurrection and the Life. This moment is not just about Lazarus—it’s about each of us learning to trust that God’s timing is never late and that His love is never powerless. Faith, even in its smallest expression, opens the door to miracles. Faith has a name, I called her Martha! Bethany teaches us that miracles begin in hearts that believe. If God answered Martha, He can and will answer us too. Our struggles, like Lazarus’s tomb, may seem closed and final, but God still speaks life into what seems lifeless. Let us bring our fears, our losses, our waiting prayers into this house of charity, trusting that God sees, hears, and responds in love. Faith makes the impossible possible—not because we are worthy, but because God is faithful. Blessings Fr. Jhack