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"Martha welcomed Him." —Luke 10:38
The Lord said to Moses: "You have found favor with Me and you are My intimate friend" (Ex 33:17). "The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face" (Ex 33:11). God even let Moses glimpse all His beauty and revealed to Moses His name, "Lord" (Ex 33:19). Moses was God's intimate friend.
"Jesus loved Martha" (Jn 11:5). When He was tired, He rested at Martha's house and "Martha welcomed Him" (Lk 10:38). Jesus even revealed to Martha His title, "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25). Martha was Jesus' intimate friend.
Moses and Martha were blessed with a special intimate friendship with the Lord. Can we be as close to Him as they were? That's up to us. Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks (see Rv 3:20), saying "Open to Me...My beloved" (Sg 5:2). To be intimate friends means to reveal to the beloved a never-ending increase of delights. The bride and groom in Song of Songs offer delight to each other five times (Sg 1:2; 2:3; 4:10; 5:16; 7:7). Jesus offers to us "the delights at [God's] right hand forever" (Ps 16:11). We in turn offer to Him what He delights in: the love of all our heart, all our mind, all our being, and all our strength (Lk 10:27). Of course, Jesus' ultimate offer of intimacy is the Eucharist, in which we receive into our body the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Receive Him, and be His intimate friend (Jn 15:15).
Prayer: Father, I will find my delight in You, and you will give me the desire of my heart: intimacy with You (Ps 37:4).
Promise: "I am the Resurrection and the Life: whoever believes in Me, though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in Me will never die." —Jn 11:25-26
Praise: "Martha welcomed [Jesus] to her home" (Lk 10:38).
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 18, 2013
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