_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies}

 _{Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (c) 2010
July 18, 2010} 

To use the imagery of today's Gospel, most of us are a lot like Martha.  I immediately think of the busy, hectic lives of families today.  I can hear wives and husbands saying, "If it weren't for Marthas like me, nothing would get done around this house.  If I took time to sit at the Lord's feet, the laundry would be piled high to the ceiling.  If I took time to sit at the Lord's feet, the sink would be overflowing with dishes.  If I took time to sit at the Lord's feet, our yard would look like a hay field."

I think that is precisely the point that Jesus is making in today's Gospel.  Jesus is saying to people like Martha, namely us, "You, most of all, should take time off to sit at the Lord's feet."   We are "anxious and worried about many things."  We can't sit still.  We are uncomfortable with silence.  We can't or don't take time off, as Mary did, to sit quietly at the Lord's feet.

If Jesus could speak to us today, he would say the same thing to us that he said to Martha. "You are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part."

Today's story of Martha and Mary makes an important point.  We can get so involved in what we are doing that we forget why we are doing it.  We can get so involved in living that we forget why we are living.  We get so involved in pursuing the things money can buy that we forget about the things that money can't buy.

It's this kind of mistake that Martha made in today's Gospel. She got so involved in cooking a meal for Jesus that she forgot why Jesus came and what he really wanted.  He didn't come for a free meal; he came to be with friends.  He came to pause and relax in the midst of a hectic schedule of teaching and healing.

Recall Jesus' reminder, "Human beings cannot live on bread alone (Lk 4:4).  And recall his answer to his disciples when they said, "Teacher, have something to eat!"  But he answered, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."   So the disciples started asking among themselves, "Could somebody have brought him food?"  "My food," Jesus said to them, "is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do."  (Jn 4:31-34) 

There is a bit of Martha in all of us.  We get so involved in activity that we forget to pause now and then.  We tend to forget that we need moments of silence and contemplation.  We get so involved in activity that we forget that the art of living is often better served by observing the "pauses" than in our handling of all the activities.

We can get so involved in activity that we forget to pause to sit quietly and unhurriedly in God's presence, making sure that where we seem to be going is where we really want to go.  We forget we are both body and soul, and need to keep them in balance.

We need to find a balance in our lives between the needs of the body and those of the soul.  We need to find a rhythm for turning outward toward Martha's world of activity and for turning inward toward Mary's world of contemplation.

A common objection is, "I am so busy dealing with Martha's world of activity that I don't have time for Mary's world of contemplation."   If that is honestly the case, you are in trouble . . . big trouble.  And you had better do something about it . . . quick!

 This gospel story has probably caused most of us real dismay.  Many identify with Martha who is trying to do her very best in serving Jesus and probably his disciples, while Mary sits listening to Jesus speak.  Perhaps we envy Mary in her role in providing hospitality . . . giving her undivided attention to their guest.  

Perhaps we know ourselves well enough to know that we would want to do exceptional work in providing a meal for Jesus, or for guests, is of course praiseworthy.  But if we are so busy that we can't be truly present, what have we gained?  We are doing work for ourselves and not for this special guest.  Perhaps Jesus was simply telling Martha that a simple dish was sufficient.  Or perhaps he was telling her that he just wanted them all to be present together.

This is precisely what Jesus is telling us in today's Gospel.  We must keep our bodies and our souls together.  We must keep the Martha and the Mary inside us in a delicate balance.  Let me close with this short prayer:

Lord, keep us from getting so involved in life that we forget why you gave us life

Keep us from getting so involved in living that we forget why we are living.

Keep us from getting so involved in pursuing the things that money can buy that we lose the things money can't buy.

Lord, help us to stay balanced.  Amen!