16th
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42)
Today’s
Gospel is both well-known and cherished. Preachers often use it to show that
Jesus had female friends—even female disciples. It is also seen as a model of
two forms of religious life: active, like the Daughters of Charity, and
contemplative, like the Carmelites. However, today we’ll try to approach it
from a different perspective.
To do this,
we need to go back to last Sunday’s Gospel—the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The final words of that reading were Jesus’ command to the scholar of the Law: “Go
and do likewise.” He was telling him to assist those in need, regardless of
their race or religion. Today’s passage
follows directly after those words and offers advice that at first glance seems
contradictory. Jesus tells Martha, who is busy with the household tasks of
hosting a guest, that such tasks are not the priority at that moment. Referring
to her sister Mary, seated at his feet like a disciple, Jesus says she has “chosen
the better part.”
Why then does Jesus seem to reproach Martha for her desire to give hospitality,
right after telling the scholar to serve his neighbor? Has he changed his
teaching? Is listening to the Lord now the only thing that matters?
To answer
these questions, we can reflect on a famous prayer by Saint Augustine:
“Lord, may your grace inspire, sustain, and accompany our actions, so that all
our work may begin in you, as its source, and end in you, as its goal.” In this prayer, the speaker asks the Father
to send the Holy Spirit so that their motives may be pure and their actions
bring glory to God.
Without the
grace of the Holy Spirit, our works—as the book of Ecclesiastes says—are
vanity. Our nature, wounded by sin, cannot produce true goodness on its own.
Our intention—what Augustine calls the “source”—is often centered on the
self, on selfishness. And our actions—the “goal”—are frequently tainted
by personal defects. I do not doubt, for example, that most students study not
to master the subject or grow in wisdom, but to get good grades so they can
impress their parents and peers. We have
become like trees infected with blight, unable to bear good fruit. And the Lord
confirms this truth in the Sermon on the Mount: “…every bad tree bears bad
fruit” (Mt 7:17).
By staying
close to the Lord, listening to his guidance, and feeling his love, Mary is
preparing herself to act in a new way. She will not lean toward selfishness
while in the company of Jesus, who knows her heart. Her actions will be
wholesome and fruitful because she has chosen “the better part.” Martha,
most likely, understands the lesson too. She is generous of heart and, more
importantly, has the good sense to go to Jesus with her problem.
What about
us? Do we see ourselves more like Mary—contemplative and quiet—or like
Martha—active and expressive? It doesn’t really matter. Both women have been
proclaimed saints. What matters is that,
like Mary, we listen to and follow the Lord’s teachings. And like Martha, we
ask for his help and bring to completion our efforts with care.
