Tuesday, July 29,2025
Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
Today’s first reading came from Exodus, and it was sobering. For the first time, Moses called the Israelites a “stiff-necked people” (Exodus 34:9). His frustration was deep. Just yesterday in the readings, we saw him shatter the tablets of the Ten Commandments at the sight of their idolatry. And today, that tension continues. We hear of Moses again going to the tent of meeting, speaking with the Lord “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11).
Still, the people had hardened their hearts. I feel that. Sometimes it mirrors what we see around us today. Despite all that God does for us, how often do we turn our backs on Him?
The responsorial psalm reminds us of who God is:
“The LORD is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor does he requite us according to our faults” (Psalm 103:8, 10).
Thank God for His mercy. Without it, where would we be?
In the Gospel (John 11:19–27), we revisit one of the most touching moments in Scripture, the raising of Lazarus. This passage always stirs something in me. When Jesus arrives, Martha meets Him with pain in her voice and hope in her heart:
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you” (John 11:21–22).
Jesus responds with something eternal:
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).
Martha’s answer is one we should all strive to echo:
“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).
Do you believe this?
That question pierces through centuries and reaches each of us today. For Jesus to bring Lazarus back to life after two days, Martha had to believe that everything was possible with God. The delay was not a denial, it was necessary for the glory of God to reveal itself to the unbelievers of that time.
These miracles are still happening in our day, and that is not a fairy tale.
We live in a broken, fallen and frail world. That is why the sacrament of reconciliation is not just helpful, it is necessary. Jesus entrusted that authority to the Church, saying to Peter:
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
We all fall short. And the harder we try to walk faithfully, the more temptations seem to multiply. Sin may be dressed up, but it is never glamorous. Its only fruit is death.
But Christ’s way is life. He is the resurrection. He is the light. As today’s Alleluia proclaims:
“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
We need to talk with Him, and we need His light to shine in this world, through us.
So let us fix our eyes on Him. In a world that tempts us to give up, may we remember Lazarus. May we remember Martha’s faith. And may we remember that no matter how far we stray, God’s mercy endures forever.
God bless you,
Pal Ronnie
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