Gospel for July 17 2022 – Luke 10:38-42
Gospel Reflections for July 17 2022
Do you like Martha …or Mary?
Today’s Gospel can start an argument! It describes two opposite ways of living our faith.
Jesus is a guest in the home of two sisters who behave in very different ways. Martha is busy with hospitality chores while Mary is quietly listening to Jesus. Which one is doing the right thing? Is Mary just lazy …or wise? Is Martha more responsible …or too busy?
This issue mirrors a problem in the early Church, and maybe in your life today. What is the right balance between quiet prayer and active social ministry?
Jesus actually does not take sides but transcends both actions with a profound teaching.
Neither action nor prayer are valid unless each is done as a personal calling from God. What makes our behavior right is that it is in response to God’s personal call to you.
Jesus does not correct Martha for being busy. After all, He often encouraged people to be active. Yet He is concerned that Mary is not happy in her work, and even more concerned with the nature of her request about Mary. Anytime your prayer begins with the words, “Lord, what you need to do is…” Well …you are telling the Lord what to do rather than respond to His call!
Both Mary and Martha are called to be responsible, in that word’s original meaning; to have a response to a calling from God. Both public social action and quiet personal prayer are only appropriate if we are responding to His call for either path, and not just what we think we should do.
Discerning that call means making a wise judgment and that should also be confirmed by other wise people in your life.
For those who are active, you cannot see Martha as your friend or Mary as your enemy, and for those who are prayerful, you cannot see Mary as your friend or Martha as your enemy.
It all depends on what God has called you personally and specifically to do at this time in your life that will help build the Kingdom of God.
You can certainly pray for special intentions, such as healing a friend from sickness, or engage in active social ministry, but you should always include in your motivation the words that Our Lord spoke in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion, “…not my will …but yours be done!”
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
This is a thought provoking Message and one we can learn a lot from. The process of being a Father to Five wonderful children you find that being busy working puts food on the table but must be balanced by listening to your wife and children to fulfill their needs.
Spending time with them is very important and marveling at what Gifts they each possess.
I Pray that I can maintain the balance required to do the job successfully.o
Well said. You understand this Gospel well.
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ” Not my will but yours be done”!!! We must act in love and then our Jesus’ will, will make our world beautiful!!!
Thank you!
The story of Martha and Mary is a wonderful lesson for us. Both are loving friends of the Lord…
Mary sitting at His feet listening and Martha preparing to cook a good meal for Him.
Yet Jesus reprimanded Martha for being busy about many things. and Mary choosing the better part.
I think that the Lord is asking us to seek Him first in all that we do.
YEs, seek the Lord whether in a busy or contemplative life.
Regardless of which path we end up taking, I believe that we need to begin with God, and then our sense of what needs to be done should come from there. And from there, we can take God with us out into the world.
Mary made this her first priority. She chose the “better part” which could never be taken away from her. Martha was anxious and nervous because she attempted to turn this around and derive her spirituality from a sense of duty to the world. Mary listened. And through prayer, we can listen too.
To say the least, it would be hard to overcome life’s challenges without time for prayer and solitude.
But in prayer, we can find strength, wisdom, and peace.
Yes, Our Lord Himself lived a good balance between activism and contemplation.
Dear Father Dave,
This gospel message has resonated with me for a long time. The depth of this lesson is beautifully increased by the driving force of God’s will.
Thank you so much for unveiling this in your synopsis!
God bless….
Kathleen
You are very welcome!