Tuesday of the
Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 10:38-42)
Acute observers compare how yesterday’s gospel passage
ended with today’s lesson. After
relating the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus told the scholar of the law,
“’Go and do likewise.’” The one who
meditates on the Scriptures must also help his neighbor. Today Jesus has the opposite message for one
who spends her day helping others.
Martha is like my aunts when they prepared their house
for guests. She completes every
detail. In the process she exhausts
herself and then wonders why her sister does not lend her a hand. Of course, Mary is listening to the
Lord. But Martha does not think that it
is worthy excuse and takes her complaint to Jesus. He advises her that she must learn when to
stop working and listen.
The spiritual life like most everything else is a matter
of balance. At times we must pray and
listen to the word of God reverberate within us. At other times we must act on that word with
love. Doing either of these exercises exclusive
of the other will lead to imbalance and frustration.
