Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 29 July 2025 Tuesday, Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Siblings 1 John 4:7-16 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> John 11:19-27
“The Raising of Lazarus”, 1311 painting by Duccio de Buoninsegna from commons.wikimedia.org
What a beautiful reminder to us, dear Jesus on this day as we celebrate the Memorial of the Holy Siblings Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus: the only time they are presented as one and complete was during the raising of Lazarus; you were there in their most sorrowful moment in life as brother and sisters because you have always been there with them in good times when they were all alive and well.
I pray, dear Jesus, for all siblings like Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus to remain one as a family after their parents have been gone; so many times in such deep sorrow, we are like Martha telling you Lord, "if you had been here my brother - or sister or parents -would not have died" (John 11:21); but, your response to her and to us was so rich in meaning we can only summarize in love, "your brother will rise... 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?" (John 11:23, 25-26)
Help me believe like Martha, Jesus; help me believe by being more loving and caring with my family while still alive and well; help me believe by being more understanding and forgiving, more kind and sensitive with my brother or sister while still alive; please help, Jesus the siblings at odds with each other, not talking with each other, grouping together against each other because of betrayals and dishonesty in their share of inheritance; help them seek your face to be more just and loving because "love is of God" (1 John 4:7); let siblings be like Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus be one in you, Jesus in faith, hope and love while still alive so that in their death they remain one in you. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City (lordmychef@gmail.com)
An icon of Jesus visiting his friends, the siblings Sts. Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Photo from crossroadsinitiative.com.