Not too long ago, I receive a phone call from a young woman who was grieving the loss of her mother. Her mother passed suddenly, and she wasn’t able to say good-bye to her. More than that, she told me in tears that she has not spoken to her mom for years, due to some argument they had some time ago. Now- she said: mother is gone, and I am so angry at myself that I didn’t reach out to her, that I didn’t call her, didn’t talk, and now is too late. I loved her very much, but my pride and anger stopped me from telling her that. Martha from the gospel reading today was so lucky. She was grieving the loss of her beloved brother. Perhaps she too wanted to say something to him, maybe just say she was sorry or explain something to him. And that’s why she got that extra time. Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, and so Martha could talk to him again. After all, Lazarus still had to die, and Marta died too, but I think today’s Gospel reminds all of us that life is short. Our loved ones will leave this world, and no one knows when. But today is the day that we need to reach out and make that phone call, or send an e-mail, a text, say I am sorry, say I love you, I forgive you. Now is the time to start making changes.
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