MEETING JESUS

Memorial of St. Martha
Jn 11:19-27

When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet Him. “Meet” is one word that can be meaningfully associated with Martha whose blessed memory we celebrate today. She would always do anything to meet the needs of Jesus. The home she shared with Mary and Lazarus, her siblings, was like a home-away-from-home for Jesus. Today, in the Gospel, she went to meet not Jesus’ needs but Jesus Himself. And she met Life Himself.

Martha reminds us that while what we do for the Lord, no matter how little it may seem, is significant, what the Lord does for us and in us is far more valuable. Whenever Jesus would be in Martha’s house, Martha would meet Jesus’ needs. This time, Jesus met Martha’s need as Martha met Him. Their rendezvous brought the much-needed consolation that Martha had over the death of her bother. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

To meet Jesus is to meet Life in itself. Jesus is the Life of the world. As we strive to meet the needs of Jesus in the modern world, let us not forget to meet Jesus Himself. Unless we meet Jesus, meeting His needs may only drain us of the life we have.