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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


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