“SEEDS OF LIFE”
Sunday, 17th July 2016.
Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Gen 18: 1-10;
Ps 15: 2-5;
Col 1: 24-28;
Lk 10: 38-42.
CHOOSING THE BETTER PART!
Jesus seems to have often been a guest in the home of Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Jesus felt more comfortable in some homes than in others. Some of our homes are very Christian. They make it comfortable for God to be there. We must ask ourselves about this from time to time. Does our family pray together? Does our family stay together? Do we find ourselves comfortable with one another? There are families and communities where even the members of the family or community are quite uncomfortable with one another. If Jesus visits such a home, He will either leave immediately, or He will bring harmony among all. Before our family prayers, we should pause for a minute to be reconciled with one another in our minds and hearts, so as to make our home comfortable for Jesus to stay with us.
Take the example of Martha and Mary in today’s Gospel: Mary sits there, contemplating Jesus. Martha is busy with serving. After awhile, she complains to Jesus: “Lord, do You not care; my sister has let me alone to do the serving? Please tell her to help me.”We do not know exactly to what extent Martha’s activity was responsible for her sister’s passivity. But the Lord knows people through and through. He must have been greatly appreciating Martha, fluttering hither and thither to make Jesus feel at home. That was good enough. But Jesus felt uncomfortable, when Martha says “Lord, do You not care; my sister has let me alone to do the serving? Please tell her to help me.”“Martha, Martha,” came the eye-opening reply, “you fret and worry about many things. Few things are necessary; in fact only one...”Jesus is telling Martha and telling us through Martha, that we should have a correct order of priorities in our lives; and a reasonable variety of dishes on our tables; and correct discernment concerning the preferences of our guests. This is a very special Guest who is coming to visit Martha and Mary. He wishes so much to feed rather than to be fed. Sure, He accepts what Martha has to offer for His corporal sustenance. But He wishes to nourish their minds with His truth, and with the revelation of His glory.
Today’s second reading gives us some idea of this revelation:“… the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to His saints…. The message is: Christ among you, your hope of glory.”Martha seems to have understood little of this mighty revelation of God that had come to be fed at her table. Did Mary understand? Probably not fully! She was charmed; she was mesmerized in some measure. In that measure she would be transformed into an apostle in the days to come. And even in her apostolic activity, feeding and nourishing others with the revelation she received from Christ, she would not cease sitting at His feet and contemplating Him. “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her.”
Prayer: Teach me, Lord, to hunger for your Word and to contemplate it in my life. Amen.