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When
Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat
at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of
God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will
rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the
resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection
and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you
believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that
you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the
world." When she had said this, she went and called her sister
Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you."
As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. ... When
Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him
she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died."
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“Our lives are
made in these small hours, these
little wonders, these twists and turns of fate, time falls away, but
these
small hours, these small hours still remain. Let your troubles
fall behind you, and I don’t mind if it’s me you need
to turn to. We’ll get by; it’s the heart
that really matters in the end.”
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The
person in the song "Little Wonders" is singing about some special time
together, and how
important it is. For that person, the
intimate moments of sharing are really
important to him. It is a song about communication,
what is called “gut-level communication”, and its
significance for a couple.
The Scripture passage involving the death of Lazarus, Jesus' reaction to it, and the dialogue between Jesus and Lazarus' sisters Martha and Mary, contains important theological implications. Jesus presents the fact of eternal life, but also as one studies the human interaction of friendship displayed by Jesus and this family, one can sense a communication between them that can be described as a "deep sharing." Jesus, Martha, Mary and Lazarus must have had a relationship that allowed them to speak, one can say, "from the heart." Rob Thomas speaks of such communication in his song. Singing that speaking with the heart is what really matters in the end, he says that the life between friends is "made", that is, is defined, by the wonders of deep communication. Such communication is described by the idea of sharing feelings and emotions openly, honestly, and with no regard of whether the other will receive them well or not. It is allowing the friend to see exactly what is in the heart, that is, exactly how one feels at this moment in time. It is a communication that is extremely important for couples who are close, and it is likewise extremely difficult. When the young people of our world begin their dating patterns, perhaps the most challenging element to learn is how to communicate with the other person. Speaking on a deep level is an art, and like any other art, it takes time and effort to learn. But it is the defining moment of a relationship. If the friendship of any two people is to last, "gut-level communication," that is the honest sharing of feelings and emotions, must be part of the relationship. Jesus achieved it with his friends. It is indeed the "little wonder" that can create a life together. |
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THOUGHT
Do you believe that
most married couples achieve the art of sharing deeply with each other
most of the time? Yes or no and why?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, your Son calls us to communicate with you and with
each other. If we choose the married state, you especially call
us to a deeper communication with our spouse, the same type of
communication your Son had with his friends here on earth. Give
us the grace to learn the art of communication well. Be with us,
we pray.
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©2007 Capuchin
Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |