+ St. Martha entertained Christ in her home, along with her sister Mary, at
a dinner that might have been a celebration for the Lord’s returning their brother
Lazarus back to life after he had died: this being done at Martha’s request.
Martha served the Lord by cooking the dinner; Jesus could identify with that:
he came to be a servant: not a cook, but a slave of all and redeemer of
mankind. Martha served Jesus after receiving him: so many of his own people did
not receive Jesus, but she, and her sister did. Good St. Martha, blessed are
you for attending the Lord’s bodily needs, for you are now being attended by
him at his heavenly banquet table – and rightly so, o favored daughter, and
child of God.
But we must not forget that,
in addition to being hospitable to her Lord and friend, Martha also was the one
who made a great act of faith and belief in the resurrection of the dead – when
she asked Jesus to raise her departed brother Lazarus. May she be remembered
for this, rather than for being argumentative with her sister Mary about
helping out at the dinner party.
May we today, as we make our
way to that same celestial table, lovingly serve the needs of the same Christ
wherever we may see him, especially in the poor and the needy. Let us be
hospitable to them and serve them calmly, gently, lovingly because we actually
see him in them: for he is really and truly there! And let us keep our sights
firmly on our own resurrection from the dead.
Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord
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