Monday 29 July 2024

Today is Monday 29 July, the feast of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, in the 17th week of Ordinary Time. Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus’. Slow down now as you enter prayer and turn your eyes upon Jesus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of the earth Will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace In the light of His glory and grace Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John. John 11:19-27 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 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. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’ In one sentence Martha gives us permission to be more fully human. She is grieving the death of her brother. She seems disappointed with Jesus, that he didn’t do more to help. She trusts him, nevertheless. You’re allowed to be sad. You’re allowed to be disappointed. Nevertheless, can you still trust in the goodness of God? You can be a human being! You can be real! You can be honest with yourself and honest with God. In the company of Jesus now, can you acknowledge sources of your own grief or disappointment? What does Jesus want to do with this? What does he want you to know? Listen again and notice how candidly this friend of Jesus relates to him. At the end, Martha tells Jesus who she thinks he is: the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world. You might like to tell Jesus who he is for you… Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.