Reflection for Tuesday 27th Week in Ordinary Time

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Today's WORD of GOD

Luke 10: 40-42

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Today's Reflection

Active & Passive

We must Aim at a Healthy Balance between Contemplation & Action, so that We Reflect the Characteristics of Both Martha & Mary, Jonah & the Ninevites. They are all Icons of Virtue of Various Kinds.

Jonah was a Man of Action, Not Always Prudent or Praiseworthy Action. When Told to Preach Repentance in Nineveh, His Reaction was to Head Off Westward, as Far as Possible from where He was Told to Go. Maybe He could have Avoided Trouble by just Ignoring His Mission & Sleeping Away His Life at Home in Israel.

Martha is like Other Active, Hospitable People who Loved Entertaining.

Silent Contemplation is the Exception, Not the Rule, in Both the Old & New Testament. In Jonah’s Case, Repentance Meant More than the Ritual Acts of Sackcloth & Ashes. All Persons were Required to “Turn from Their Evil Ways,” a Phrase Repeated Twice in This Book, as Signs of True Conversion. Both Ritual & Moral Repentance were Expected.

The Contemplative Calm of Martha’s Sister Mary is also a Valid Option. Soon, JESUS is Telling Martha Not to be so Anxious & Upset about Things, for only One Thing is Required. “Mary has Chosen the Better Portion.” Was HE implying that the “Mary Spirit” should be Treasured by Martha too, & by Each of Us. HE Wants Us Not to be Anxious or Upset. We Need to be Reminded of the Invisible, Spiritual Side of Life.

The “Better Portion,” Praised by JESUS in No way makes Activity Unimportant, but We Need to make Time for Spirit & Soul, Direction Love & Concern.

We Each Need to Imitate Both Martha & Mary.


In Sympathy with Martha

Most of Us Feel Sympathy for Martha of Bethany. She was Working Hard to Prepare a Meal, & yet JESUS Holds that Mary has Chosen the Better Part. “Poor Old Martha” We might Say. JESUS is Not Opposed in Principle to People Working Hard in the Service of Others. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan HE Praises Compassion & Active Love.

But as the Book of Ecclesiastes Says, “There is a Time for Every Matter Under Heaven,” which could be Paraphrases as “There is a Time to be Active & a Time to be Silent & Listen.”

For JESUS, this Visit to the 2 Sisters was a Time to Simply Listen to HIS WORD. HE had Something Vital to Say that They Both Needed to Hear.

Mary Instinctively Recognized that This was the Kind of Hospitality Required on This Occasion, Listening rather than Doing. Mary was more Attuned than Martha to what the LORD Really Wanted. CHRIST Wants Us to Work on HIS Behalf, but HE also Wants Us to Listen to HIM.

Good Morning

GOD Bless Us All Today

Have a great day