“If I were to ask you today, “Who are your closest friends?” names would immediately come to mind. Friends are among God’s greatest gifts. We cannot choose our parents or our siblings, but we can choose our friends.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus enters the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. It is one of the most beautiful pictures of friendship in the Bible.

Notice something remarkable. Jesus did not simply visit their house. He felt at home there.

Imagine that! The Son of God, who could have stayed anywhere, chose to spend time in the home of these three siblings. He laughed with them, ate with them, rested with them, and when Lazarus died, Jesus even wept. The shortest verse in the Bible says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). That is not simply the tears of a miracle worker. Those are the tears of a true friend.

Today’s Gospel teaches us three simple lessons about friendship.

Friendship is about making time for one another.

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. Mary welcomed Him into her heart. Martha was busy preparing the meal. Mary sat quietly at the Lord’s feet, listening to Him.

Jesus did not criticize Martha because she served. Service is beautiful. What He gently reminded her was that relationships are always more important than tasks.

How often do we become so busy making a living that we forget to make a life? We work overtime for our families but have no time to talk to them. We spend hours on our phones but only a few minutes listening to those we love.

Friendship grows not because of expensive gifts but because of shared presence. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is simply your time.

A true friend helps us become closer to God.

Not every friendship is a blessing. Some friends encourage us to gossip, cheat, or waste our lives. Others inspire us to pray, to forgive, to serve, and to become better people.

The friendship of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus drew Jesus into their home.

Ask yourself today: Do my friendships bring me closer to Christ or farther away from Him?

Saint Paul reminds us: “Encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The best friend is not the one who always agrees with you but the one who lovingly leads you toward what is good.

Be a friend of Jesus.

Perhaps the most beautiful lesson today is this: Jesus does not only want followers; He wants friends. He Himself said, “I no longer call you servants… I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

Prayer is not merely saying words. It is spending time with our Friend.

Mary chose “the better part” because she understood that before doing things for Jesus, we must first be with Jesus.

The more time we spend with Him, the more patient we become, the more forgiving we become, and the more capable we are of loving others.

Regrets

Let me end with a simple story.

An elderly man was once asked, “What is the greatest regret of your life?”

People expected him to say he wished he had earned more money or become more successful.

Instead, he quietly replied, “I wish I had spent more time with the people who loved me.”

Final Words

At the end of life, no one regrets not answering one more email or attending one more meeting. But many regret not spending enough time with family, friends, and with God.

That is why today’s Gospel is so timely. Like Martha, let us serve generously. Like Mary, let us listen attentively. Like Lazarus, let us enjoy a friendship so deep that Jesus calls us by name.

And may our homes become places where Jesus always feels welcome—not only because our tables are prepared, but because our hearts are open.”