From the Pastor

March 22, 2026

A few weeks before Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, He was called to the tiny village of Bethany, to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Martha and Mary had sent a desperate message to Jesus that His dear friend, their brother Lazarus, was gravely ill. Jesus waited for four days before setting off to their home. When He arrived, He was met by Martha who told Him that her brother was dead. She also said, in an almost accusatory tone, “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” Mary comes out to Jesus and speaks almost exactly the same words. “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” In other words, why weren’t you here.
    
Many of us have asked similar questions of Christ. Were you here when we were going through this terrible suffering? Why did you allow this tragic situation to happen? Where is God when we are going through tough times?

Jesus assures both Martha and Mary, and us, that He does care about our struggles, and that He is “the Resurrection and the Life.” He is the victory over suffering, sin and death. St. Paul, after listing many of the struggles that we face, wrote that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.” By raising Lazarus from the dead, He demonstrated that power.
     
Many years ago, I learned a saying that I have leaned on when in situations that seem overwhelming. I invite you to make it your own. “There is nothing that will happen to me today, or tomorrow, or any other day of my life, up to and including the day of my death, that God and I cannot handle together.”
—Fr. Mike Comer