Skip to main content

Martha and Mary


Martha and Mary
Lk 10: 38 – 42
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s reading is the story about Jesus and two sisters, Martha and Mary who welcomed him into their home. In this story, Jesus praises Mary who has chosen to sit beside  his  feet and listen attentively to every word he said.

The Gospel

Jesus enters a village and is welcomed by a woman named Martha. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Naturally, Martha as the good host was busy preparing something to eat for the Lord. Perhaps this burdened her a bit and in deep exasperation came to Jesus and said, “ Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving! Tell her to help me. “
The Lord said to her in reply, “ Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her. “

Reflection

Today’s reading revolves around the theme of “welcoming.”  Jesus was welcomed by Martha and Mary into their home. The sisters must have been good friends with Jesus who probably would have been a regular visitor in their home each time he passed by their village.
In this story, we see Jesus welcomed by two individuals in two different ways. The first is Martha. Martha welcomed Jesus by preparing what must have been a meal. Obviously she became busy and eventually became anxious and probably irritated. Her anxiety (and irritation) became quite clear when she saw her sister Mary just sitting idly by the Lord’s feet, unmindful of the work that had to be done.
The second is Mary. Mary welcomed the Lord by simply sitting beside his feet and listening to his words. We never hear a single word from her. Yet it is Mary who was affirmed by the Lord saying: “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her. “
So how then did Mary choose the better part? She focused solely on Jesus.
Like Martha, the activities that we do, even in the Lord’s name, can make us focus on the work itself, rather than on the Lord, for whom these activities are done. Eventually, the work itself, becomes the reason why we lose our cool and in the process, our focus becomes our activity, forgetting Jesus along the way.
While outwardly, Mary may not have accomplished anything, her focus on Jesus and her attentive listening would have transformed her heart and mind, making her a better disciple of the Lord.
True disciples of the Lord never run tired or weary; they do not grow grumpy or irritated even when things do not go as planned. True disciples of the Lord are not mere activists who do a lot of things for activity’s sake.  Real disciples accomplish a lot of things because of the Lord who strengthens them and gives them the grace to accomplish the work they have to do.
This gospel tells us to focus our sight on the Lord rather than focusing our sights on the work that we do. In setting our sights in Jesus, we are able to accomplish more than we could ever imagine.
It will be Jesus who will make us accomplish so much work. Like St. Paul, we can say: " I can do all things in him who strengthens me."


Prayer

Jesus, I am so busy. So busy that I forget you. Like Martha, I get caught up in an endless sequence of activities. This makes me exhausted and filled with anxiety. Because of this, I often forget you.
Teach me to become like Mary who simply took her time to listen to you. In making you as the focus of my life, I am able to choose something better. It never is a waste of time taking my time to listen to you. Amen.


“I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” – Phil 4: 13


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus The Living Bread

Jesus The Living Bread Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Jn 6: 51 – 58 Introduction Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today, we remember Jesus giving himself as food and drink for the life of the world. The Gospel 51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52  The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53  So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55  for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57  Just a...
3 comments
Read more

God so Loved the World

God so Loved the World Fourth Sunday of Lent Jn 3: 14 – 21 Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Our Gospel reading is a beautiful passage from the Gospel of John. This gospel passage is actually Jesus’ reply to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus under cover of darkness and was searching for answers for the things he could not totally understand.   In this conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus somehow reveals to Nicodemus his own life mission and the very nature of God himself.   Jesus then begins by bringing up to Nicodemus the story of the bronze serpent which Moses lifted up in the desert. This story is narrated in the book of Numbers. In this narrative, the people of Israel while in the desert, began to speak against God and against Moses. As punishment, the Lord sent poisonous serpents among them. Many die that day from being bitten by these serpents.   Then the people begged Moses to ask the Lord to take away the serpents. M...
2 comments
Read more

The Healing of the Ten Lepers

The Healing of the Ten Lepers Lk 17: 11 – 19 Introduction Today’s reading is about ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. Surprisingly, only one of them returned to Jesus to thank him. The Gospel 11  As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. [ a ] 12  As he was entering a village, ten lepers met [him]. They stood at a distance from him 13  and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” 14  And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” [ b ] As they were going they were cleansed. 15  And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; 16  and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17  Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? 18  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19  Then he said to him, “Stand up and ...
2 comments
Read more