Gospel : Luke 10 : 38 – 42
Year C
Martha welcomed Him into her house.
In Your apostolic life, You have encountered all types of situations, Lord. Sometimes You have known deprivation: The Son of man has no place to lay His head (Lk.9:58). But You have also known the welcome of friends…. In the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, You felt at home. It was the warmth and simplicity of true friendship. The two sisters express this friendship according to their own temperament: Martha by preparing a good meal, Mary by listening to You …..
Martha was distracted with all the serving ….
How many “Marthas” in our world to-day! People busy, running about… Always stressed, they never have time to stop for a while and catch their breath, to listen to each other… And evidently, there is no time to “pray”, to think of You, Lord. We do not hear You repeating to us : Martha, Martha, you worry and fret!
Lord…..tell her to help me!
Seized by her desire to give You a good welcome, Martha ends up by ordering You. What counts for her is her task, a good task which she is doing for You … but she does not concern herself with what can so easily be the case with us also, Lord! We dream of doing wonderful things for You …. and we demand Your intervention …. without first of all asking Your opinion!
Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to Him speaking …
Here is the essential, “the better part”. You offer it to everyone, including all the Marthas of the world. Even in the midst of our many tasks it is possible to listen to You. Grant us, Lord, to know to consult You before becoming engrossed in our ideas, our projects …. It is You Who are the sole essential in our life! You want to come and live in us …. May our hearts be a home where You can feel welcome and listened to with love!
