In the first reading from the book of Galatians today, Saint Paul told us all about his background, conversion and especially his travels. He went to Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria, Cilicia and Judea. It sounds like Paul was a very busy person after his conversion. There was a lot that needed to be done, in forming the early church.
As a side note, Saint Paul sounds pretty human in today’s first reading when he said, “As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.” It makes you wonder why he said that? Did someone accuse him of not telling the truth? Evidently Paul felt the need to defend himself to the Galatians, so he must have been put in a bad light, publicly. Paul became a saint, but he had many imperfect moments in his life.
The same is true with Martha in today’s gospel. Jesus called attention to one of her faults, in front of Mary. To this day, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Martha is what Jesus said to her:
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
This would have been embarrassing to Martha, that Jesus rebuked her in front of Mary. If this happened to one of us, it might have aggravated us further. Once a person gets aggravated, the slightest provocation can cause the whole thing to escalate. Mary’s serene disposition was a direct contrast to Mary’s busyness. Sometimes that is all it takes to help balance a situation, when things start getting out of control. Calm. When an irritated person encounters someone who remains calm and at peace, it is like putting water on a fire.
However, it is a shame that this is all we remember Martha for. Martha is a saint, after all. She must have done something right, in order to become a saint in the Catholic church. How come we don’t remember the reasons she is a saint? We only remember the fact that Jesus rebuked her.
Martha is a saint for many reasons, but one of them was because of when her brother Lazarus died, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha answered, “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Martha demonstrated such a deep faith in the Lord Jesus, when she answered him, that yes, she believed he was the Messiah and had the power over life and death. This simple statement is more than enough reason to declare her a saint. It makes you wonder if that is why Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, because of her faith? Several other times in the gospels, Jesus asked the person if they believed he could heal them, before Jesus performed a miracle for them. Our belief in the Lord is powerful too.
Of course we should focus our reflection today on Mary, who was actually the hero in today’s gospel. Remember that Jesus told Martha that:
“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
The meal would be eaten and forgotten after a few hours, or a day, but Christ’s presence among them would be a memory that would last forever. Mary seemed to have grasped the importance of his visit to their home. She had her priorities straight. It wasn’t that they didn’t need to eat, they did, but Mary knew the time she had with the Lord would be limited. She took full advantage of his presence with them. If you have ever visited someone who lives a very long distance away, then you can surely relate to how valuable and precious your time is with them. Meals come and go, but memories remain forever. We carry the people we love forever in our memories.
Maybe that is a good thought to end our reflection today on. When was the last time we did something with the people that we love, that will become a lingering memory one day? Maybe you could splurge on dinner tonight, with an old friend. Or, make plans to visit a relative you haven’t seen in years. It could also be something simple, like playing with your children in the evening after dinner. Children remember the silliest little things, but mostly they remember that you loved them enough to spend time with them. This is what Mary did in today’s gospel. She loved Jesus enough to be content just spending time with him.
Daily Mass Readings:
Galatians 1: 13-24 / Psalm 139 / Luke 10: 38-42
