Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, friends of Jesus Christ, who was cheerfully welcomed into their home and came to the sisters in their grief after the death of their brother. Gospel stories that feature these siblings illustrate their distinct personalities.
Known for her spirit of hospitality and service, Martha evidently felt close enough to Jesus to complain to him about her sister letting her do all the work; she also clearly proclaimed her faith in Christ when, after Lazarus’ death, she said, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world” (John 11:25-27). Mary possessed a deep attentiveness and adoration toward the Lord, sitting at his feet to listen to his Word (Luke 10:39); and, at another gathering, washing his feet with an expensive aromatic oil and using her hair to dry them (John 12:3).
While the Gospels do not present personal interactions between Lazarus and Jesus, they do make clear one fact – Jesus loved his friend. When Lazarus became ill, the sisters sent a message to Jesus that read: “Master, the one you love is ill” (John 11:3). When taken to the Tomb where Lazarus lay dead, Jesus wept, and those who were present said, “See how he loved him” (John 11:36). Jesus then raised Lazarus from death into life.
In its 2021 decree on combining veneration of Mary and Lazarus with Martha, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments wrote, “In the household of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them.” He loved them without condition, just as Jesus Christ loves each one of us.
