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Faith Amidst Grief
Today we celebrate St. Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary. When Lazarus died, Martha asked Jesus why He had not come sooner for if He did, her brother will not have died. But even in her grief, Martha professed her faith in Jesus, acknowledging that He was the Christ, the Son of God. May we ask the Father to deepen our faith today.
“She said to him,
‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’”
John 11:27
Memorial of St. Martha
When Jesus finally got to the village where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived, there was a cloud of grief and mourning for Lazarus had died just a few days earlier. Martha was probably feeling a multitude of emotions – relief and joy in seeing Jesus, disappointment that Jesus did not come sooner, sadness over the lost of her brother. Despite her sorrow, she went out to greet Jesus and she said to Him that if He had been here sooner, Lazarus would not have died but also that she knows whatever He asks God He will grant unto Him. Jesus then assured her that Lazarus will rise again. Martha understood and believed that her brother indeed will rise again on the Last Day. Little did she know what was going to happen.
Instead of telling Jesus off and giving Him grief about what kind of friend He was for not being there sooner, Martha affirmed her faith and belief in Jesus. I do not think Martha expected Jesus to bring her dead brother back from the dead, but she knew that he would rise again, but on the last day. Jesus was for Martha not a magician but her friend and her Savior. Martha believed in Jesus’s judgment and believed that all will work out for the good, and that her dead brother, who died a mortal man’s death will rise into eternal life. In her grief, she allowed her faith to move her to focus on what was most real, what was from above, and what was eternal. Her faith enabled her to see as God sees and think and God thinks. In her grief, Martha came to see that it was only through Christ would there be peace and life. May we ask the Father to deepen our faith so that we may seek what is above and what is most important.
Where Do We Look?
In your desperate time of need, who and where do you turn to? When life is not what you had hoped or expected it to be, what do you do? The world tells us to do whatever we need to do to numb the pain and to just ignore the problem, isolating ourselves from others. But deep down we know that is not the answer. The peace that we so desperately want and need can only come from God. Where are you looking and who are you turning to today?
“Is it not you alone, O LORD,
our God, to whom we look?”
Jeremiah 14:22b
When things are going smoothly, where do we look to? When things are growing increasingly difficult, who do we turn to? When times of trouble come and hardships arise, who do we ask for help and guidance? Do we face them or do we hide from them? Do we ignore them and find a distraction? Do we turn to people or do we turn to drugs or alcohol or some other quick fix and temporary comfort? None of those things will bring us the peace and solution we so desperately want and need.
We ought to look to the Lord, to God, to Our Father. In our time of desperate need, we must turn and look to God for He alone can give us what we need – not escape from our pain, but – to walk through those dark valleys, to weather those violent storms, and to climb up from the bottomless pit, trusting that all the pain and suffering we come to experience will only bring about good. The good that makes us strong and that enables us to live a life of freedom, joy, and peace. God never abandons. May we today and everyday turn and look to the Lord, our God and Our Father.
Rotting Pride
“So also I will allow the pride of Judah to rot,
the great pride of Jerusalem.”
Jeremiah 13:9
Pride is a tricky thing. Is it wrong to be proud of yourself for a job well done? I don’t think so, but if it gets to your head and you begin to look down on people, then I’d say yes. Pride can get in the way of everything that is important to you, relationships being a major one. Pride focuses on the individual and slowly blocks out other people, even God. While we may feel that we are on top of the world because of our accomplishments and achievements, our relationships may be deteriorating, and our hearts may be rotting. This is not to say that accomplishments and achievements are not worth celebrating but if those are what drives our being and all that we do then the important parts of life may be withering. Sometimes we care so much about the bloom of a plant that we neglect what is needed to ensure the continued growth and health of the plant – the roots, the soil, etc. Selfish pride will only lead to death.
When we put all our energy into making sure our outward appearance is pleasing to others and our achievements and accomplishments known to others, we risk the opportunity to living life to the full. We risk losing the people we love and care about. May we allow our pride to rot away so that the new coat of humility may arise so that we may live life to the full, a life filled with joy, peace, and love – a life that we were made to live.
