Today St. Martha reminds us that if we have faith in Our Lord he will not only meet our expectations, but often exceed them. Our problem is often that we want proof of that before we try. Martha had a greater faith; she was a friend of Our Lord. He stayed with her, her sister Mary, and Lazarus when he was in the area. It’s unclear whether she went out as his disciple and accompanied him but, as we saw in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:38–42), she probably didn’t pray as much as she should, and maybe even suffered a little from activism, even though in the hustle and bustle she served others.
Today’s Gospel showed her faith was right on target: she professed her faith that Our Lord was the Christ. She simply didn’t have a frame of reference yet for the extent to which Our Lord was meant to save us: from death itself. Therefore she accepted Our Lord’s words regarding her brother as pious consolation and was unprepared for having her brother restored to her alive and well.
Until we really try to believe our frame of reference will also be off. Let’s ask Our Lord for a deeper faith in him. When we believe he not only responds, but reveals to us how limited our frame of reference can be. Let’s put no limits on what we ask of him.
Readings: John 11:19–27. See also 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C, St. Martha, and 27th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.
