St. Martha (Feast Day July 29)

First Century

Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were close friends of Jesus. Jesus frequently dined in their home. No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion, she prepares the meal for Jesus and his friends and says what she thinks is obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner. However, Martha’s moment of glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “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.’” (John 11:25-27)

·   What would it have been like to witness Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead?

·   Jesus was friends with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. What do you think they talked about?

·   Martha was a close friend of Jesus. What would it have been like to be a close friend of Jesus during his earthly ministry?

·      Jesus loves you just as he loved Lazarus, and he wants to be your friend. Do you want to be friends with Jesus? Explain your answer.

Outdoor or Indoor Recreational Activity

·      Weather permitting, go to a local park, feed the ducks, or fly a kite.

·      Make homemade play dough and get creative!

·      Go bowling as a family.

Lazarakia

This traditional Greek Lenten bread recipe will help to bring today’s Gospel story to life!

2 lbs. unbleached, all-purpose flour

3/4 cup olive oil

1 cup cane sugar

2 packets active dry yeast

1-3/4 cups lukewarm water (plus a little more if needed)

1 tsp orange peel, one tsp cinnamon or a combination of both

1 tsp salt

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix all the dough ingredients and then knead well, until the batter becomes a nice soft dough. You may need to add a little extra water, depending on the quality of the flour. Cover and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes in a warm place.

Shape an egg-sized amount of dough into an oblong. For the hands, form two little ropes of dough and place them in an x-shape across the middle of the oblong. Form a third little rope into a circle and place it on top of the oblong for the head. (Visit web site link to see picture.) Place two cloves in the middle of the head for eyes. Repeat the process with remaining dough.

Place the Lazarakia on the baking sheets and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the bread rolls turn golden-brown.

Variation: chocolate-filled Lazarakia

A favorite, though not so traditional, variation is to wrap a piece of vegan dark chocolate inside the oblong shape before adding the embellishments. The chocolate melts during baking, thus creating chocolate-filled Lazarakia.

From https://orthodoxpebbles.com/lazarakia-recipe/

Springtime Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Spring is a time of change. Some changes we eagerly await and some we fear. Some changes we plan, and others arrive uninvited. To all these changes, we ask the gift of your Holy Spirit to help us meet these changes with expectation, hope, and rebirth. May the sunlight and the rain be reminders that you are at work renewing the earth. As a God of renewal, you are ever at work in our lives, too. Open our eyes to the needed changes in our lives this spring. For this we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Which of the following gestures do we do when the Gospel is proclaimed by the priest or deacon – sit, stand, or kneel? Why do we do that?

Remember a deceased family member in your prayers this week.

Did you know that each year March and June end on the same day of the week?