Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has a favorite hangout spot. It's not the Temple in Jerusalem with its golden splendor, nor the bustling marketplace where crowds gather. It's a simple home in Bethany where three siblings have mastered something extraordinary; they've learned to love Jesus exactly as He is, and in doing so, they've become saints who teach us three magnificent ways to encounter God.
Martha: The Sacred Warrior of Hospitality
Martha storms through salvation history like a holy hurricane of action! She's the patron saint of every Catholic who believes faith without works is dead, every mother juggling dinner prep while herding children to Mass, every volunteer who shows up early to set up folding chairs because somebody has to do it.
But here's where Martha becomes absolutely electrifying: when death crashes into her world, she doesn't crumble, she charges straight at Jesus with a faith so fierce it could move mountains. "Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Messiah!" This isn't quite resignation; this is Martha planting her flag in the territory of the impossible and declaring victory for God before the battle is even won.
Mary: The Revolutionary of Rest
In a world obsessed with productivity, Mary of Bethany is gloriously, radically counter-cultural. She commits what her society would consider the ultimate feminine transgression; she abandons her "duties" to sit at the feet of a teacher like a disciple. She chooses contemplation over convention, and Jesus defends her choice with divine authority.
Mary shows us that sometimes the most revolutionary thing we can do is... nothing. Just be. Just listen. Just love. In our frantic world of endless notifications and obligations, Mary whispers the ancient secret: your soul needs space to breathe, to wonder, to fall deeper in love with God.
When she pours precious perfume on Jesus' feet, she's not just performing an act of devotion; she's demonstrating that nothing is too extravagant for the One who gave everything for us. Mary teaches us that worship should be wasteful by worldly standards, abundant beyond reason, and beautiful beyond necessity.
Lazarus: The Ultimate Comeback Story
If Lazarus isn't the patron saint of second chances, he should be! But Lazarus represents something even more profound: he's living proof that with God, no situation is too far gone, no hope is too dead, no person is beyond resurrection.
The courage it took to emerge from that tomb, to live knowing he'd been chosen for this impossible miracle, to become a walking testimony that death itself has been defeated; that's the kind of fearless faith that changes the world. Lazarus reminds us that every single day we choose to follow Jesus, we're choosing life over death, hope over despair, resurrection over burial.
The Bethany Model: A Blueprint for Sainthood
Together, these three siblings give us the perfect formula for holiness:
- Martha's active service that transforms ordinary tasks into extraordinary love
- Mary's contemplative heart that finds God in stillness and wonder
- Lazarus's resurrection faith that believes in the impossible
They prove that sainthood isn't reserved for mystics in monasteries or martyrs in distant lands. It's available right here, right now, in the beautiful mess of family life, in the sacred ordinary of friendship, in the daily choice to open our doors and hearts to Jesus.
The Bethany siblings extend an irresistible invitation: Come and see what happens when an ordinary family becomes a launching pad for miracles. Come and discover that your home can be a place where Jesus feels so welcome that He performs His greatest wonders.
The saints of Bethany are proof that the most ordinary lives, lived with extraordinary love, become the most extraordinary stories ever told. Their feast day isn't just a celebration; it's a rallying cry for every Catholic family, every friendship, every community that dares to believe that when we make room for Jesus, miracles are not just possible, they're inevitable.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
