Sunday, March 22, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters

Martha loved Jesus deeply, yet in her grief she struggled to understand His love. Her words, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” revealed a heart torn between faith and disappointment. She trusted in His love and power, yet she struggled to understand neither His silence when He heard that Lazarus fell ill nor His absence when her brother passed away. Going beyond her expectations, His love seemed distant in her moment of deepest sorrow. Then, Martha also professed belief in the resurrection, “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day;” yet her faith seemed limited to a distant future. She believed Jesus had authority, but perhaps not here and now, not during her immediate loss. She did not yet fully understand Jesus who stood before her is not only a teacher or prophet, but also the Resurrection and the Life.

Jesus did not rebuke her. Instead, with patience and compassion, He led her gently toward deeper faith. Through His words, His tears, and ultimately through the raising of Lazarus, He revealed both His divine identity and His saving mission. He allowed Martha to voice her confusion so He could correct her in love. He permitted her to pass through suffering so her faith might be purified and strengthened. He allowed her to ex-perience loss so she could witness a greater glory. In raising Lazarus, Jesus showed that He holds authority not only over illness, but over life and death itself.

Reflecting on Martha’s journey, we are invited to examine our own faith: Do we trust in God’s perfect timing, even when it does not match our expectations? Do we believe in Christ’s compassion and in the transforming power of His resurrection, not only at the end of time, but in the struggles of today? Do we remain faithful not only when we are strong, but also when we are weak; not only when we are joyful, but also when we are sor-rowful; not only in success, but also in failure; not only in health, but also in sickness?

Then, we should remember that it is through our limitations that we come to know God more deeply. Pain re-minds us that God is our Healer. Weakness reveals that He is our strength. Sadness leads us to seek Him as our Comforter. Sin opens our hearts to Him as our Forgiver. Loss turns us toward Him as our Savior. Even death directs us to Him as the Resurrection and the Life.

Like Martha, we are called to move from confusion to confident faith, from questioning to trust. And with her, we can proclaim with conviction: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ and Our Lady of La Vang!

Reverend Kiet Anh Ta.