Sunday, July 20, 2025

 

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.

 

 

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 10:38-42)

Most likely St. Luke intended that today’s gospel be read in tandem with yesterday’s.  He often pairs stories of a woman and a man.  After Mary delivers her canticle praising God, Zachariah pronounces his.  After Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Christ child, Ana makes a similar declaration.  Later in the gospel Jesus tells the parable of the woman searching for her lost drachma after relating the one of the shepherd and lost sheep.  Evidently Luke wants his readers to know that Christ calls women as well as men to follow him.

Yesterday’s parable and today’s report of Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary bear another sign of inclusiveness.  Both break through the boundaries of custom and, indeed, of established order.  Samaritans were to be distrusted, yet the one in the parable saves the Jewish man’s life.  Women were to serve in the home, yet Mary takes her seat as Jesus’ primary disciple.  Jesus breaks the rules of propriety although not of the moral law.  He is saying the God loves all and wants all to know and love Him.

Customs and order enable us to function well, especially when there is a lot to do.  But we should not be so tied to their rules that we lose sight of other values which can have precedence.  Certainly we want to include women as well as men in the story of salvation.  Likewise we want to teach women as well as men about God and His love for all.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME(Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42)

Academics emphasize inclusivity. They insist that student essays use pronouns that gender neutral. One must write “his or hers” or even “they” rather than just “his”.  The historians among them no longer report only the successes and defeats of European men. Rather they will tell what was happening at the same time to Africans, Asians, and indigenous peoples.

The emphasis on other types of people helps us appreciate that minorities have contributed much to our society. We have a great example of sensitivity to minorities in the New Testament. The Gospel of Saint Luke includes several stories from the point of view of the less considered. We remember how Luke writes of both Elizabeth and Zacharias. In the temple Luke reports the experience of both Anna and Simeon. Later in his work Luke tells of the housewife searching for a lost coin after recounting the story of the shepherd looking for the lost sheep. We can think of the gospel today as another example of inclusiveness.

Let's remember what happened last Sunday. A doctor of the law asks Jesus: "'What must I do to inherit eternal life?'" When Jesus answers with insight, the doctor wants to "justify himself". That is, he wants to appear intelligent and sensible, not naive. We can see in Martha this same desire to "justify herself." She doesn't want to look like a fool doing all the work of entertaining a guest. She appeals to the Lord to admonish her sister Mary to help her. She knows that he is a just judge who will do what is right.

But Martha has not yet realized that friendship with Jesus consists as much in study and prayer as in service to him. We cannot follow Jesus if we are not going to take his teachings seriously. It would be like someone marrying another whom she or he does not know. More than being baptized or financially supporting the church, being a Christian means coming to know Jesus. For this reason, the parish priest feels sorry when he hears parishioners missing mass to sell tacos at the parish fair.

Martha is a saint. It would be wrong to condemn her. But in this case Mary is right to listen attentively to him while she has the opportunity. We need to imitate her. We, too, need to take advantage of opportunities to know the Lord when they occur. It is true that our responsibilities do not end with reflection. Sooner or later, we have to evangelize and carry out our particular ministry. However, it must be remembered as well that the Lord is not an ogre who wants us to work without ceasing. It can be said with confidence that He wants us to develop as persons. He wants us to do his will through meditation, prayer, and service.

Today many criticize the Church for not being inclusive. This criticism does not appear to me as fair. The Church is open to everyone of good will. After twenty centuries meditating on the Word of God, the Church has discerned that she cannot ordain women or give Communion to the divorced and remarried. But all are always welcome to participate in her riches. In fact, they are encouraged to come to meditate like Mary and serve like Martha.

 

Thursday, July 29, 2021

 Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

(Exodus 40:16-21.34-38; Luke 10:38-42)

The placement of Jesus’ encounter with Martha and Mary in Luke’s gospel calls forth attention.  It follows the parable of the Good Samaritan in which Jesus commands help to the suffering.  If the Gospel of John is correct in locating Martha and Mary’s home in Bethany, near Jerusalem, then Luke has deliberately placed the vignette here because Jesus is a long way from Jerusalem.  Luke probably wants to qualify in some way Jesus’ appeal to love God and neighbor.

Martha busies herself with serving.  She seems to be concerned about the fineries of hospitality.  On the other hand, Mary recognizes that the Lord Jesus, God’s greatest prophet, is present.  With such a guest one needs to listen and not to bother with details.  Like the scholar of the law who questioned Jesus to initiate the parable of the Good Samaritan, Mary knows action follows listening to Jesus’ instructions.

Then why do we primarily celebrate St. Martha today and secondarily St. Mary?  We probably do so because, as the gospel says, “…Martha welcomed him,” i.e., Jesus.  We too must welcome him.  He comes to us in the poor and needy, for sure.  But he especially comes to us in the Eucharist where we can take Mary’s pose at his feet.  We listen to him and then welcome him “under (our) roof” as we say when we receive Holy Communion.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

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. 

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 1:13-24; Luke 10:38-42)

It is said that St. John Paul II used to teach that the first duty of every Christian is to allow herself to be loved by God.  Some people seem to believe that they must earn this love so they never stop working.    They act in a way similar to Martha in today’s gospel.

Remember the story of Jesus visiting Zacchaeus’ home; how he tells the tax collector, “’…salvation has come to this house.’”  Salvation has come to Martha and Mary’s home, but Martha does not realize her fortune.  Her only concern is service to her guests.  As admirable as this intention may be, it blocks an encounter with the Lord.  Out of obsessive concern for work Martha misses a unique opportunity for salvation.  Mary, in contrast, realizes the uniqueness of the opportunity.  She responds with attentiveness to what Jesus has to say.

The long day provides many opportunities to work.  It also offers us moments to contemplate God’s goodness and to thank Him for His bounty.  We are wise to be a little like both sisters in this gospel episode.  Like Mary we want to attend to the Lord by cherishing his words and thanking him for his goodness.  Like Martha we want to serve him by caring for the need of others.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Memorial of St. Bruno, priest

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 10:38-42)

Today the Church remembers St. Bruno.  He was born in the eleventh century – a time of notorious corruption among the clergy.  Many parish priests had concubines.  Monks were living lives of leisure more worried about who was abbot than about praying to the Lord.  Bruno did something about the cancer.  He formed an order of monks with a stringent rule.  The monks would live basically as hermits eating alone and coming together only three times a day for prayer.  We can see Jesus approving this way of life in today’s gospel.

The two sisters Mary and Martha welcome Jesus into their home.  Mary sits and listens to Jesus while Martha busies herself with household chores.  After a while, Martha begins to fret: “Why isn’t Mary helping her with the housework?” she says aloud.  Jesus must correct her.  Mary realizes the significance of Jesus’ coming.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Not attending to him in order to do daily chores is like cleaning the basement when the pope is sitting in the parlor.

“There is a time for everything,” the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us.  There is certainly much time to fulfill daily duties.  But there is also a time when we must set those chores aside to give thanks and praise.  Once in a while we may be tempted to miss Sunday mass in order to cook, clean, or study.  That is committing Martha’s mistake.  We attend to him first and allow everything else fall in its proper place.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Memorial of Saint Martha

(Leviticus 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34b-37; Luke 10:38-42)

It seems capricious of the Church to honor Martha with an obligatory feast while not giving at least similar distinction to her sister Mary. After all, in Luke’s gospel even Jesus recognizes that Mary has acted more wisely than her sister. However, if part of the Church’s strategy in naming saints is the edification of the faithful, we have to search for what Martha has to teach us.

First and most important, Martha shows us not to be shy about approaching Jesus. He is our friend who will help us when we are perplexed, especially when our distress is over how the world is run. Second, Martha provides one of the best examples of the virtue of hospitality in all the gospels. She sacrifices herself to entertain Jesus just as the Benedictines remind us that we should treat every guest as if she or he were Jesus. Finally, in the gospel of John Martha makes the same act of faith in Jesus as Peter does in the gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke when she calls him, “the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Martha may not have sat at Jesus’ feet, but she knows his worth. We are wise to contemplate Jesus’ words like Mary and be ready to acknowledge and serve him like Martha.

Homilette for Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 10:38-42)

Giving a talk to Missionaries of Charity, the congregation Mother Teresa founded, will likely humble any priest aware of what is going on. The sisters place a chair in the center of the room for the priest and then sit on the floor around him. No doubt they see themselves as taking the posture of Mary listening to Jesus in the gospel today.

In the passage Jesus acts prophetically in a number of ways. First, he visits a woman’s home and then he allows a woman to sit at his feet. Rabbis do not take such liberties in biblical days for obvious reasons. But Jesus is in no way constrained by social customs neither to associate with women nor to have one in the position of his disciple. Indeed, he wants women must hear the gospel as well as men.

The great fourteenth century theologian Meister Eckhart saw Martha as Jesus’ disciple even more than Mary. He taught that where Mary only listens to the word of God as it comes from Jesus, Martha puts that word into practice by serving others. It’s a novel interpretation of the gospel but one which reinforces the idea that women as well as men express discipleship of Jesus in different ways.

Homilette for Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Tuesday, XXVII Week of Ordinary Time
(Luke 10:38-42)

Giving a talk to Missionaries of Charity, the congregation Mother Teresa founded, will likely humble any priest aware of what is going on. The sisters place a chair in the center of the room for the priest and then sit on the floor around him. No doubt they have the posture of Mary listening to Jesus in the gospel today in mind.

In the passage Jesus acts prophetically in a number of ways. First, he visits a woman’s home and then he allows a woman to sit at his feet. Rabbis do not take such liberties in biblical days for obvious reasons. But Jesus evidently does not feel tempted to sin by thought much less by action. He does, however, mean to demonstrate that women must hear the gospel as well as men.

Most of all, Jesus acts like a prophet here by the implication of his words. He tells Martha that only “one thing” is important. For him that thing is always to heed the word of God. He is hinting to Martha and the rest of us that he speaks that word. We need to put aside our many cares to listen to him.