Cherishing Jesus as a Friend!

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Jer 15: 10, 16-21; Jn 11: 19-27

Today, our Mother Church celebrates the feast of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, the beloved friends of Jesus.

The friends of Jesus at Bethany help us discover that true friendship explains yet another dimension of holiness.

Welcoming Jesus into the Home of Love: We have often heard, ‘Bricks and mortar make a house, but only love turns it into a home.’ For Jesus, the itinerant preacher, a home away from home was certainly a need, and the three friends of Bethany certainly offered it. It is interesting to think that the Lord who attended to all people needed the three of them to attend to him. Thus, for the wandering Lord, the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus became a stopover to rest and relax. With no expectations of favors or miracles, the three of them showered Jesus with genuine love and hospitality. In them, Jesus found a place to go. 

Making Jesus the Center: The beauty of the friendship between Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Jesus is that though Jesus was an occasional visitor to the house at Bethany, he was always made the center of their home and lives. All three of them loved Jesus uniquely and differently. Martha made sure that Jesus would lack nothing whenever he visited them. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet to listen to him with all eagerness and openness. Though he does not speak anything, Lazarus became a living testimony to the Lord’s power over death. Thus, they loved Jesus, each in his/her own way, making Jesus the center of their lives.

Allowing Jesus to Transform Their Lives: The lives of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are a powerful reminder that whenever Jesus enters our lives, they are transformed for the better. Though Martha is a dutiful host, she is made to understand she needs to learn to enjoy Jesus’ presence more than being overly distracted about setting things before him. Mary’s gesture of soulful listening receives the needed affirmation that she chose the better part. By raising Lazarus, Jesus deepens the faith of the Bethany family by declaring, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ When Jesus is welcomed, he touches our lives and transforms them in a way that a return to our old self becomes impossible.

In celebrating the saints of Bethany, we are called to remember that they are fondly remembered not because of their status or achievements but because of their genuine friendship and discipleship. Indeed, Jesus occasionally entered their home, but they gave him a permanent place in their hearts and lives.

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus show how to cherish Jesus as a true friend in our lives.

Let us pray that we may make room for Jesus in our lives as the saints of Bethany did. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar