Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (11: 19-27) in which Martha says to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about St Martha, Mary and Lazarus whose memorials we celebrate today.

Fr Paul says Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were a close-knit family who lived in Bethany, near Jerusalem. The Gospels portray them as dear friends of Jesus, with the Lord having a special affection for them.

Martha is described as the more ‘active’ of the two sisters, focused on serving and hospitality. Yet, Jesus praises Mary’s ‘contemplative’ posture of listening to his teachings. This suggests a complementarity between the sisters, with both ways of relating to Christ being valued.

When Lazarus falls ill, the sisters send word to Jesus, who delays coming until Lazarus has died. Upon his arrival, Martha professes her faith in Jesus as ‘the resurrection and the life’, while Mary weeps at his feet. Jesus then raises Lazarus from the dead, a powerful sign of his divine identity and mission.

After this miraculous event, the family hosts a dinner for Jesus, with Martha serving and Lazarus reclining at table, demonstrating his restored life. This intimate gathering reveals the deep bonds of friendship and faith that united this household with the Lord.

Though the Gospels provide few explicit details, the witness of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus stands as a testament to the transformative power of encountering Christ.
Their story reminds us that the Lord desires close, personal relationships with his followers, and that both active service and contemplative prayer have an important place in the life of discipleship.

On this day, Fr Paul invites us to ask ‘Sts Martha Mary and Lazarus… Pray for us!’.