St. Martha

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Saturday, 29 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, the friends of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and also some of His closest disciples. Through all of them we are reminded of the great and loving relationships that the Lord shared with His friends and closest confidants, as St. Martha and St. Mary were often hosting the Lord at their house while St. Lazarus was one of those that the Lord resurrected from the dead, after he passed away from sickness. The Lord showed His great love to all of them, and revealed the nature of His generous love and compassion. All of us are truly fortunate that the Lord has not abandoned us and indeed, He will never do so, and that is why, through these three great saints, all of us are reminded to come ever closer to Him and seek Him.

As we heard in our Gospel reading passage today, either of the account of the resurrection of St. Lazarus from the dead, and also how St. Martha and St. Mary welcomed the Lord into their place, we heard of the interactions between these three saints and holy people with the Lord Himself, how they were beloved by God, and how the Lord wanted to tell us that if we believe in Him, then we shall have no need for fear or uncertainties, and there is no need for us to be afraid of anything because the Lord will always be by our side, and we will always be guarded and protected, given the blessings and strength, grace and might from God. St. Lazarus’ death and his resurrection by the Lord showed us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and not even sin and death can do that, as God, the Master and Lord of life and death, have dominion over all things.

Meanwhile, St. Martha and St. Mary showed us all the love that one ought to have for one’s fellow brother and sister, just as we can see how distraught both of them were at the passing of their brother, and yet, at the same time, they still held on to the faith in the Lord, believing in Him and in the Resurrection, which came to complete fulfilment with the Lord’s resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. St. Martha and St. Mary also showed us in the other occasion, of what it means to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, with all of our heart and attention, and as a reminder that sometimes we may be swayed and distracted by the many worldly matters and attachments which may lead us down into our failure to recognise God’s Presence in our lives, or in being so busy and preoccupied in doing things in our lives, even if for the Lord, that we forget to remember Him and spend time with Him.

As we heard from the famous account of how St. Martha hosted the Lord in her house with her sister St. Mary, we heard of how St. Martha was really very busy preparing everything for welcoming the Lord, which presumably included cooking, preparing the food, the table and everything, in trying to be as hospitable as possible. Meanwhile, St. Mary was seated by the Lord’s side, spending time with Him and listening to Him, and when St. Martha complained to the Lord about her sister not helping her, the Lord quietly chided her obsession and preoccupation with her works and efforts, which made her to forget what she should also be doing at that time, which is to spend good, quality time with the Lord and to listen to His words, rather than to spend so much time preparing all things for Him, but ignoring Him and His presence and words in the process.

That is a reminder for us that the Lord wants from us our love and attention, our whole hearts and minds, undivided focus and more, and not all the busy actions and preoccupations we have in life, in all the things that may distract us from focusing ourselves upon the true focus of our lives, that is the Lord Himself, the Lord and Master of us all. That is why today, all of us are reminded as we rejoice in the glorious memories of the three siblings turned saints, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, that each and every one of us should always put our faith and trust in the Lord, and we should always place the Lord first and foremost before everything else. We must always do our best so that we will not be swayed easily by the temptations and obstacles present all around us, threatening to mislead us away from the path of the Lord and His salvation.

As Christians, each and every one of us are expected to be wholly devoted to the Lord, and to live our lives with great commitment and focus on Him, so that all the others who witness our works, actions and deeds, and who hears us and our words, and interact with us all, they may be inspired to come to know more about the Lord and His salvation. You can essentially say that we are all God’s missionaries and the beacons of His light and truth in our communities and in the world. It is through us that we can either help to bring more and more people to come towards the Lord and His salvation, or to deter and discourage the same people from coming to approach the Lord by our own scandals and lukewarmness in faith. We must not allow worldly desires, distractions and temptations from leading us down the path towards our downfall.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of faith shown by those three great saints, particularly that of St. Mary, in her focus and attention on the Lord, in her devotion and commitment to Him. And from St. Martha, let us all be inspired by her desire to serve and love the Lord, but at the same time, let us all keep reminding ourselves that we should not allow our actions, our piety and all to distract us somehow from our love and focus on the Lord. As it is very easy for us, just as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had shown throughout the Gospels, to be swayed and distracted, to become proud and haughty over our own actions of faith, that our faith become inward looking and exclusive, self-righteous and lacking in genuine and true love for the Lord. This is something that we all must be careful of, and strive to avoid, by keeping our focus solely on the Lord alone.

May the Lord, ever glorified through the lives and actions of His holy ones, the glorious saints and martyrs, and particularly on this day, through St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, who are dear to Him, continue to bless us all and guide us in our own journey of faith and life, so that we may always be ever faithful to the Lord in all things. May we continue to strive and persevere in faith, even amidst the many challenges and trials all around us. May God bless our efforts and good works, our every endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 29 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 11 : 19-27

At that time, 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 die, 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.”

Alternative reading

Luke 10 : 38-42

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He entered a village, and a woman called Martha welcomed Him to her house. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to His words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving, and finally she said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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Saturday, 29 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

I will praise YHVH all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in YHVH; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify YHVH; together, let us glorify His Name! I sought YHVH, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, YHVH hears and saves them from distress.

YHVH’s Angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of YHVH! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

Revere YHVH, all you, His saints, for those who fear Him do not live in want. The mighty may be hungry and in need; but those who seek YHVH lack nothing.

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Saturday, 29 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 4 : 7-16

My dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves, is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us? God sent His only Son into this world, that we might have life, through Him.

This is love : not that we loved God, but that, He first loved us and sent His Son, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love comes to its perfection in us.

How may we know that we live in God and He in us? Because God has given us His Spirit. We ourselves have seen, and declare, that the Father sent His Son to save the world. Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them, and they in God. We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.

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Friday, 29 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the words of wisdom from God on how each one of us can serve and follow Him better, through the inspirations of the saints, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus. The three of them were siblings and according to the Scriptures, they were friends of the Lord Jesus. Lazarus was the one whom the Lord raised from the dead, and Mary and Martha were the ones to whom the Lord visited, as we heard from the Scripture passages today. Each one of them brought about inspiration for all of us Christians.

Lazarus, one of the siblings, according to the Scriptures, was very sick at one time and was on the verge of death in Judea, when the news of this came to the Lord and His disciples were in Galilee. Mary and Martha begged Him to come over and help their brother because they believed that the Lord could do something to help and heal their ailing brother. The Lord truly cared for them all, and nonetheless, He abided by His Father’s will, and waited a while as mentioned in the Gospel, until the appointed time, when He came to Judea after Lazarus had passed away from the sickness.

It was there that the Lord revealed His glory and power to all the assembled people, and opened their eyes to His truth, as He raised Lazarus from the dead after affirming both his sisters, Mary and Martha, that He is indeed the Lord and Master of life and death, and that He Himself is the Resurrection. Through Him, Lazarus gained a new lease of life, and God’s Name glorified through what the Lord Jesus had done that day. He showed His love for Lazarus, shown clearly when He even wept publicly for Lazarus, as he had to suffer and experience suffering and death first before God would be glorified through his resurrection.

That showed us just how close Lazarus, Mary and Martha were to the Lord, as very good and close friends, confidants and likely later on, important members of the Church. Meanwhile for Martha and Mary, we knew them more from another occasion in which the Lord visited both of them at their house, which prompted Martha to immediately be busy preparing all that was necessary to welcome the Lord, while Mary spent the time by the Lord’s side, listening to Him teaching and speaking to her. Through those actions, both of them actually showed their love for God in their own way.

Martha, while she was indeed distracted by her hectic and busy preparations to welcome the Lord, she was indeed doing so because she loved the Lord and wanted to care for Him in the way that she knew of doing. Mary on the other hand, also cared for the Lord in her own way, by listening to Him attentively and focusing on everything that He said. We can see from the examples set by the two sisters, as what each one of us as Christians should be doing in our lives in following and serving God. As Martha and Mary had done, we are all called to focus our attention to the Lord and devote ourselves to Him wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, in our Church and world today, more often than not we encounter a lot of infidelity and lack of commitment to the Lord, because we are always distracted and busy with many other commitments and attachments in life. And unlike Martha, we are busy not because we are preparing to welcome the Lord into our midst. Instead we are busy pursuing our various worldly desires and ambitions, our many desires and concerns, our pursuit for power, fame, glory, wealth, influence among many other things. And we are also often too busy to listen to the Lord speaking to us and calling on us to communicate with Him.

That is why many of us kept on slipping down the path towards damnation and hell. Many people kept on failing to follow the Lord and to dedicate themselves as they should, because they were all too busy serving their own wants and desires, and in ignoring God’s calling and truth. The Lord has always patiently reached out to us in order to help us in our journey towards Him. However, it is up to us whether we are willing to listen to Him or not. If we continue on closing our hearts and minds against Him, then that is why the Lord’s words fell on deaf ears and we may end up getting further and further away from the path to salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the good examples of the siblings, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, their love for God and faith in the Lord, in all that they had done in following and obeying God’s will, let us all also do the same in our own lives as well. All of us should do whatever we can to seek the Lord from now on, and do our best to live our lives worthily in all things, committing our time, effort and attention on the Lord. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey and may He empower and strengthen each and every one of us to live as good and devout Christians, now and always, evermore. Amen.

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Friday, 29 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 11 : 19-27

At that time, 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 die, 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.”

Alternative reading

Luke 10 : 38-42

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He entered a village, and a woman called Martha welcomed Him to her house. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to His words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving, and finally she said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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Friday, 29 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

I will praise YHVH all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in YHVH; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify YHVH; together, let us glorify His Name! I sought YHVH, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, YHVH hears and saves them from distress.

YHVH’s Angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of YHVH! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

Revere YHVH, all you, His saints, for those who fear Him do not live in want. The mighty may be hungry and in need; but those who seek YHVH lack nothing.

by

Friday, 29 July 2022 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 4 : 7-16

My dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves, is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us? God sent His only Son into this world, that we might have life, through Him.

This is love : not that we loved God, but that, He first loved us and sent His Son, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love comes to its perfection in us.

How may we know that we live in God and He in us? Because God has given us His Spirit. We ourselves have seen, and declare, that the Father sent His Son to save the world. Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them, and they in God. We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.

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Thursday, 29 July 2021 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we all celebrate the feast of the three siblings, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, who were featured prominently in the Gospels as friends of the Lord, as well as His close followers and disciples. They were mentioned in various parts of the Gospels, as St. Martha and St. Mary were depicted in the Gospel passage today as having welcomed the Lord to their place, and how both of them later on also had a moment with the Lord when their brother, St. Lazarus passed away from sickness before the Lord resurrected him from the dead.

St. Martha was the one who welcomed the Lord to her place and then made herself busy in preparing all the hospitality, the food and all for the special guest that came to her house, while St. Mary waited by the Lord’s side, listening to Him speaking and teaching her while St. Martha was very busy with her chores and works. When St. Martha saw that her sister was not helping her with her work, and complained to the Lord that St. Mary should be asked to help her in the kitchen with her preparations, the Lord kindly told St. Martha that her sister did the right thing, by choosing to stay by His side and listening to Him.

Both St. Martha and St. Mary loved the Lord and were faithful to Him in their own ways, and it does not mean that each one’s method is better than the other. Rather, the Lord wanted to remind us all through that occasion and example, that we must first and foremost focus our attention to the Lord, to His truth and His love, and then we have to do our labours and work of love for the Lord just as St. Martha had done. But we must be careful not to allow the works and labours to distract us and end up making us fall into the desire for satisfaction and inner pride.

Neither should we allow ourselves forget about the Lord just because we want to do things to glorify Him. This was done to much greater harm by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, as they were outwardly pious and faithful, and yet, they spent most of their time and actions, focusing on praising themselves and indulging in adulation and fame, enjoying their popularity and praises from others. It is because of this that they had forgotten what it is that they were charged with, as the guardians of the Law and the faith of the people. In the end, they became elitist and exclusionists, refusing to admit others to their elite faith and devotion to a fault.

St. Lazarus on the other side showed us all the virtue of having faith and staying true to the Lord, Who is the Master of all and the Lord of all, of the living and the dead. Through his resurrection from the dead, the Lord showed His might before all, and how beloved each and every one of us have been, all these while, that God would not let death to claim all of us and destroy us. From the beginning, we have been destined to destruction and suffering due to our sins, our disobedience against God, and yet, God rescued all of us, and restored us through His love.

He promised us all His salvation, which came true through Christ, His beloved Son, sent into this world to be with us and to dwell among us. He revealed His truth and love to us, and called us all to return to Him, to be reconciled and reunited with Him. He told St. Martha and St. Mary not to be worried and to have faith in Him, when St. Lazarus was sick and eventually died before He reached him. The Lord told the two sisters that He is indeed the Resurrection and the Life, the Master of all, in Whom all of us can trust, and hold firm in.

The wonderful faith and interactions between St. Lazarus and his sisters, St. Mary and St. Martha, as shown by the latter’s great sorrow at his passing and their unsurpassed joy at his resurrection are great model and inspiration for all of us in our own Christian communities, among all the faithful people of God. And their mutual love for the Lord, their dedication and commitment to His cause are also great inspiration for us to follow, as those who believe in the Lord and who should be inspired by their faith and commitment, their love for God above others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all seek the Lord with a new heart and spirit, strengthened by this love we ought to have for Him, and let us persevere in each and every moments of our lives, that we may glorify Him by our actions and works, and in all things, we may always aspire to the faith showed by St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, holy siblings dedicated to the Lord. May God bless us all, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 July 2021 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 11 : 19-27

At that time, 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 die, 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.”

Alternative reading

Luke 10 : 38-42

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He entered a village, and a woman called Martha welcomed Him to her house. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to His words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving, and finally she said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”