Remembering St. Martha: The Lord alone is our Hope!
Jer 14: 17-22; Jn 11: 19-27
Is it not you alone Lord our God to whom we look? - these words express well the mindset with which Martha told Jesus, "if you were here, my brother would not have died!" Martha's hope in the Lord is plainly expressed in these words. The Lord challenges her to journey further in her hope. It is like what St. Paul says about Abraham (Rom 4:18), Jesus invites Martha to hope against hope!
Martha's confession about Christ has nothing less than the confession of St. Peter! The faith that Martha had in Jesus was so profound that she believed when Jesus was around nothing could go wrong. Jesus acknowledges the trust that Martha had in him, but invites her to go a step ahead and trust that even if things went wrong, she had nothing to fear for the Lord was with her always!
It is simple in times that are pleasant, to trust in the Lord; it is not that very simple to trust in the Lord "always". Even when things go wrong, or especially in such situations, we are called to be calm but vigilant; seeking solutions but not begging remedies. Not looking for any solutions anxiously, but daring to remain patient with the issues of life is a clear sign of total trust in the Lord that the Lord alone is our hope!