Bethany: A home for Jesus.

In Martha, Mary and Lazarus house in Bethany, Jesus felt at home, enjoying their friendship and their warm hosting. Due to this familiarity, Jesus is often found in Bethany during his public life, being a place where a number of relevant scenes takes place.

Personally, one of my favourite stories is the one where Jesus was hosted in Martha, Mary and Lazarus’s house and Martha is too worry in serving Jesus while Mary is sit close to him just listening (Lc 10, 38-42). This nice picture reminds us that serve and pray are the two faces of the same coin catholics use in our daily life.

Bethany is also a place where the glory of God is shown when Jesus brought Lazarus back to life (Jn 11, 41-44), somehow anticipating its own resurrection. In this passage, the strength of Martha can also be perceived when she said to Jesus: «Lord, if you had been here my brother would not be dead. But I am certain that, even now, whatever request you make to God, God will give it to you.” (Jn 11, 21-22)

This experience of Jesus friendship in Bethany is the one that drives today the faith on our family, together with a group of around forty families. This has inspired this design of the original Bethany family with a warm “welcome home” towards the Lord.

If you are keen on deepening on the mistery of Bethany, I would recomend you to read “Betania, una casa pare el amigo» From the Father José Granados dcjm and the Father José Noriega dcjm. It explains in detail the main pillars of the spirituality from “Bethany families” movement.