Memorial of Saint
Martha
(Jeremiah 29:1-9; John 11:19-27)
Perhaps no actor in America has been as cherished as
Lucille Ball. She became famous in the television
series “I Love Lucy” of the early 1950s.
Her performances in different episodes are still regularly cited. Lucy was so very human with most of the virtues
and some of the shortcomings that describe the best of us. She can be compared with the character of Martha
in the gospels.
Martha is well described as a friend of Jesus. She does not hesitate to ask his assistance in
the famous passage from the Gospel of Luke.
She also seems intimate enough with Jesus to question his behavior
without worrying about loss of affection.
In today’s gospel she implies a criticism of Jesus for delaying his trip
to Bethany. But above all Martha shows
extraordinary regard for Jesus as she recognizes him as “the Christ, the Son of
God.”
Martha’s relationship with the Lord should encourage all
of us. Like her we often find ourselves hitting
our heads for talking too much. We may even wonder like her why it takes so long for Jesus to respond to
our needs. But once again like her we believe that he
is the Christ who has come into the world to lead us to eternal life.
