29 July 2020
Memorial of St. Martha
“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)
Faced with tragedy, the Christian reaction is properly a mix of anger, sadness, and hope. The choices that have led to suffering provokes our anger, which is way Jeremiah and Jesus also reacted to injustice. Yet, as we turn to those who are suffering, hearts that have been sensitized by the Lord will feel the weight of sadness, of compassion for those who have been subjected to injustices. Sadness alone can often lead to despair and inaction. Fostering anger at injustice can lead to a forgetfulness of the humanity of those who committed injustices, and ultimately lead us ourselves to acts contrary to God’s justice. St. Martha saw what every Christian faced with tragedy needs in order for compassion and indignation to bear good fruit: the presence of hope.
In the wake of her brother’s death, Martha has a crucial confrontation with Jesus. She is sad that Lazarus has died, and her words almost betray an anger that Jesus had not been there to heal. Still, when asked about her belief in the resurrection, Martha confesses her hope that all will be right at the end of time: “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:24) Martha is content to let her hope be disappointed in the past, and fulfilled in the extreme future. Yet, Jesus will not let hope remain at the extremes. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the One who gives cause for hope on the last day, and he is standing there before Martha on that day. It is in response to this presence of Jesus that Martha’s hope finally becomes full.
Jesus our Lord is not absent when we face tragedy and injustice. Jesus, the resurrection and the life, remains with us, dwells in us, and wants to work in us to help restore hope to the world around us. Let us ask St. Martha to pray for us and teach us to turn to Jesus, especially when we feel our hearts laden with sorrow and anger. Through her intercession, may we also come to know the presence of Jesus, hope incarnate, helping us to aid others in this present world.