Martha and Maria

October 06,
2015 Tuesday
27th Week in Ordinary Time
1st reading:
Jonah 3.1-10
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to his words.

Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?”But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Both Martha and Mary entertained Jesus as responsible hosts. Their story has Eucharistic undertones. Mary’s role as a listener of Jesus mirrors what we do at the Liturgy of the Word, while Martha’s kitchen preparation projects what happens at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Both were performing important roles in one grand activity akin to our Eucharistic celebration, with Jesus as the focus. Everything went smoothly until Martha tried to shift that focus.

A person doing the work of God will enjoy the work for as long as he focuses on God. The moment he shifts the focus to the work, he loses altitude and puts himself within reach to savages on the ground.

This is what happened to Martha. When she lost altitude the first savage to pounce on her was self-pity.

Self-pity made her thirst for attention. Wanting to grab Jesus’ attention, she started to discredit her sister as a lazy and opportunistic host. It was so mean of her to do this to her own sister. If blood is thicker than water, envy is like aspirin that thins down even the thickest blood of the highest viscosity.

Let us learn from Martha’s story. There are too many who are unhappy in the workplace because they lose grip of higher motives. One noble motive is just as sound as any good motive that sustains us in the work place. But the highest motive is God. With God as the force that moves us, everything turns sacred, including our struggles and sacrifices.

Sacrifice comes from two Latin words “sacrum” (holy), and “facere” (to make). When we work for God, we make holy the difficulties that come our way. The workplace itself turns into a sanctuary where we offer sacrifices, thus exercising the priesthood shared to us by “Jesus the Priest” during our baptism.

Here lies the Eucharistic undertone of our life in the workplace. Let us not forget any minute God as the primary motive of our work so that we may not end up bitter like Martha. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.

May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya?
I-type ang BANDERA REACT at
i-send sa 4467.