“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.”

These words express a faith that is both wounded and hopeful. Martha speaks from a heart that is grieving, confused, and yet still trusting.

We often desire a God who acts according to our expectations, within our timelines, and in ways that make immediate sense. When this does not happen, we can feel as though God is absent. “If you had been here…” becomes the silent cry of many hearts. It is the question of every person who has faced loss, delay, or unanswered prayer.

Martha does not hide her disappointment— “if you had been here…”—and yet she does not lose her faith— and yet, Martha adds: “But even now…” This small phrase opens a horizon beyond human calculation. It suggests that God’s action is not confined to the past we regret or the present we struggle to accept. There is always an “even now” with God—a possibility that transcends our limited understanding of time, causality, and control.

How often does our own prayer sounds like this. We believe, and yet we struggle. We trust, and yet we question. We bring to God our pain, our losses, our unanswered prayers. And sometimes, like Martha, we wonder why the Lord did not act sooner.

But this Gospel reminds us of a deeper truth: God’s presence is not limited by our expectations or our timing. Even in moments that seem like endings, God is at work preparing something greater. Faith is not the absence of sorrow—it is the courage to trust that God can bring life even out of death.

Martha’s words invite us to hold both realities together: honesty and hope. We can bring our disappointment to the Lord, but we are also called to remain open to what He can still do—“even now.”

This week, let us ask ourselves:
Where in my life do I feel that God has come “too late”?
And can I still say, with trust, “even now, Lord, I believe”?

Because in Christ, no situation is beyond hope, and no moment is beyond redemption.

In Christ,
Fr. Lijoy Jose, OFM Cap.
Pastor