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Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Reading 1  : Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the LORD answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18

R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.

Alleluia : John 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  : John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“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.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”

or Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a powerful and comforting truth:
God strengthens those who struggle, protects those who trust Him, and reveals His glory to those who believe—even in moments of grief and uncertainty.
• Jeremiah shows us that honest prayer is welcomed by God.
• The psalm reminds us that God is our refuge and strength.
• Martha teaches us that faith speaks boldly even when the heart is breaking.
The message is clear: Faith grows strongest in seasons of struggle—and God meets us there with strength, protection, and revelation.

 Reflection for the Day

Jeremiah’s prayer is raw and vulnerable. He feels misunderstood, attacked, and overwhelmed. He even questions his calling.
Yet God does not reject his honesty. Instead, He responds with reassurance:
“I am with you to deliver and rescue you.” “I will make you a fortified wall of bronze.”
God does not promise an easy path— He promises a strong heart.
The psalm echoes this truth beautifully: “O my strength, for You I watch.” The psalmist knows that human protection fails, but God’s protection never does.
Then we meet Martha in the Gospel— a woman of courage, honesty, and deep faith.
She is grieving. She is confused. She is hurting.
Yet she runs to Jesus. She speaks openly. She believes boldly.
Her confession— “Yes, Lord, I believe…” is one of the most powerful declarations of faith in Scripture.
Martha teaches us that faith is not the absence of sorrow— it is the decision to trust Jesus in the middle of it.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Bring your struggles honestly to God.
   He welcomes your questions, pain, and fears.
2. Trust His strength and protection.
   He is your refuge, your defender, your “fortified wall.”
3. Profess your faith boldly.
   Like Martha, let your heart say: “Yes, Lord, I believe.”
   Let today be a day of courage, honesty, and renewed trust.

 Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, in my struggles, be my strength.
In my fears, be my refuge.
In my grief, be my hope.
Give me the courage of Jeremiah and the faith of Martha, so that I may trust You in every circumstance and proclaim with my whole heart: “Yes, Lord, I believe.”
Amen.