Source: Lent with Saint Francis de Sales – The Visitation of Saint Mary of Annecy (visitationannecy.org)
Sunday
“Lord, he you love is sick.”
John 11:1-45
Sermons of April 1601 and 1612. Works VII 373 / VIII 98
Martha and Mary set out their prayers in a few words. Love pushes them. Notice how much Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus. So he said, “Lazarus, our friend, is sleeping, but I will go and wake him up from this sleep.”
The first effect was God’s greatest glory. Now, this glory of God comes from the resurrection of Lazarus, all the more admirable, because it was made in the presence of several people, very late and solemnly.
The second effect of this prayer is that these women received a greater favor than they asked for; the illness of Lazarus is the reason why these two sisters sent a messenger to Our Lord. They were afflicted, and that is why they have recourse to the Lord. They only asked for the healing of their brother, and Our Lord raised him up…
But behold this admirable prayer: Behold, he whom you love is sick. We beseech Christ for two reasons: we acknowledge our misery and we entrust ourselves to his love and mercy. God really needs our misery: Have mercy on me because I am crippled; and our misery needs God’s mercy: Blessed is the man whose help comes from Him…
Christ came, and he wept with those who wept. Oh! precious tears!
The eyes are similar to the door or window through which we see inside the house; so the Jews said, “See how he loved her”; they saw Jesus’ love for Lazarus.
O holy affliction that makes us have recourse to this heavenly Comforter! Like Martha and Mary, in painful events we discover benefits, and one of the most excellent is that they make us return to Our Lord. When we are prospering, we often forget Him; but in adversity we turn to Him as a precious refuge.