Daily Gospel Reflection for March 29, 2020

Today's Gospel: John 11:1-45 “So when He heard that he was ill, He remained for two days in the place where He was.” It wasn’t until I was an adult that I really heard this sentence in the well-known story of the raising of Lazarus. Jesus waited two days, even after He had heard that one of His best friends was deathly ill. And by the time he arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha and Mary both weep and tell Jesus that they know He could have saved their brother. And yet Martha is trusting that Jesus will do whatever should be done. “Whatever You ask of God, He will give you,” Martha says. This is an amazing testimony of faith! When Jesus says that Lazarus will rise again, Martha confesses her belief in the resurrection on the Last Day, still trusting that Jesus’ will -- which is His Father’s will -- is perfect. When I pray, I often struggle with finishing my prayers with “Thy will be done.” I can say it, pray it, but sometimes it’s really hard to mean it. God delights in our asking Him for what we desire, even though He knows it already, but this doesn’t mean that we’re going to automatically get “yes” as an answer. Sometimes, like any good parent, God has to say no to our prayers. Sometimes, it’s “not yet.” But learning to pray for God’s will means trusting that His plans and timing are perfect. Lazarus was dead four days when Jesus arrived in Bethany. He wept with His friends, then raised Lazarus from the dead to help those around his friends grasp exactly Who He is. When we pray, we need to try to be patient and trusting, knowing that God will answer exactly the way we need it most.