Today’s Reflection
Gospel: John 11: 19-27 (or Luke 10: 38-42)
July 29, 2025 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, after the death of their brother, to comfort them.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”

Today’s Reflection

The siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were very close friends and devoted disciples of Jesus. St. Martha, whose feast we celebrate today, is known to be a doer, a woman of action who gets things done, focused on activity instead of prayer to show her devotion to the Lord. Nevertheless, she was loving and generous in her faith in Jesus. Today’s gospel reading illustrates to us that there are degrees to our faith as the faith of Martha, profound as it is, went through different phases. Lazarus had died, and when Jesus arrived, the active Martha rushed out to meet Him as soon as she heard He was coming. Referring to the fact that Jesus did not immediately respond to their message that Lazarus was seriously ill, Martha chided Him: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Implicit in her seeming reproach is an expression of faith in the divinity of Jesus and His power to stave off or prevent the death of her brother. She immediately added, “But I know that what you ask of God, God will give you.” At this time, she is not asking that Jesus bring Lazarus back to life, for her faith has not yet reached that level, so when Jesus said that Lazarus would rise again, Martha responded that he “will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” She was referring to Lazarus being raised from the dead on judgment day. Jesus then said, “I am the resurrection and the life…and everyone who believes in me will never die” and asked, “Do you believe this?” Martha’s immediate response, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,” is so honest, emphatic, direct, and forceful. It is a confession of faith in the divinity of Jesus that is absolute and total.

If we are asked how strong and deep our faith is in Jesus’ divine nature and His teachings, what will be our honest response? Do we have complete conviction, confidence, and credence in Him and the Good News? In bringing Lazarus back to life, albeit for a short period here on earth, Jesus gave us a foretaste of the promised resurrection and life everlasting. Do we have full faith that we, too, will rise on the last day and face His judgment? The truthful affirmation of our belief is not in the affirmative words we utter but in living a daily life according to His pathway. Pray for the grace to be granted the spirit, strength, and support to be faithful to Him at all times.

/Vulnerasti, 2025