Martha and Maria

Sunday, July 21, 2013
16th Week
in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Gen 18:1-10a
2nd Reading: Col 1:24-28
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)
When Jesus visited Martha and Maria, only Maria sat to listen to him. But Jesus didn’t take it against Martha. Her absence did not mean indifference. After all, she was in the kitchen preparing food for him. But while Jesus did not find any problem with their division of labor, Martha did. Soon she turned bitter and began comparing herself with Maria. “Lord,” she complained, “don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?” Attitudes like this do not win God’s sympathy. Instead of consoling her, Jesus told her frankly: “Mary has chosen the better part.”
Jesus wanted to teach Martha that the nature of work, for as long as it is not immoral, is not material; what matters is that things are done for God. Martha’s kitchen work was pleasing to Jesus at the start; self-pity rendered it unpleasant. One who prays as Mary did at the foot of Jesus, and one who works as Martha did in the kitchen equally please God if both give Him the lion’s share of their intentions.
Another lesson Jesus wanted to teach Martha was unity. Had Mary been alone in the house, Jesus would have gone hungry; had Martha received Jesus without Mary in the house, Jesus would have been left alone at the living room. But because Martha was there to prepare food and Mary was there to usher Jesus in, Jesus received the hospitality he deserved.
There is a Martha and a Mary in each of us. Martha stands for our earthly concerns while Mary for the concerns of our soul. As Martha’s preoccupation in the kitchen (before she complained) stood on an equal footing with Mary’s “better part” before Jesus, so God’s apparent floccinaucinihilipilification of earthly concerns won’t apply if we strive to harmonize these with our spiritual concerns. Our earthly endeavors should not clash with our spiritual concerns. The two must be harmonized so that we may be pleasing to God’s eyes.
— Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website:www.frdan.org.

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