By: By Sharon Priester

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 21

Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 15:2-3,3-4,5; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42

In the readings for last weekend, a scholar of the law asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus asked him what the law said. So the scholar gave him the two great commands of the Jewish law: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

How do we go about loving the Lord and our neighbor? The readings this week can help us to answer this question.

In the first reading, Abraham, a man of God, sees three men nearby. He quickly runs to greet them, and offers them rest and refreshment. As they rest in the shade of a tree and wash their feet, Abraham calls Sarah and asks her to prepare some fresh rolls, while he selects his choice steer, prepares dinner and serves the strangers.

In this weekend’s Gospel, we read about Jesus entering a village where he is greeted by a woman named Martha, who welcomes and serves him. As he takes a seat, he begins to speak to those gathered. Among those listening is Mary, Martha’s sister. For Mary to be sitting and listening was not in accordance with their culture since women were only called to serve, not to be part of those gathered around Jesus.

Martha, watching Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while she was serving others, was rather unhappy. I think I know how Martha was feeling, doing all the work serving the guests while her sister was not helping. Perhaps you have felt like Martha sometime in your life.

Finally, Martha goes to Jesus, complains about Mary and demands that he tell Mary to help her. Perhaps she thought that he would agree with her and do as she says. Jesus, however, in a loving and compassionate way says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

What is it that Mary has chosen? She has made the choice to sit at the feet of the Lord, listen attentively to him and be in his presence.

REFLECTING GOD’S LOVE
Abraham and Martha both actively served the Lord and others. The Good Samaritan, in the prior verses of Luke’s Gospel, took care of the man who was robbed, beaten and left for dead. Many of us also serve the Lord in many ways — clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, as well as performing many other charitable actions. Each of these acts certainly demonstrates how we “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Mary, however, sits at the feet of the Lord, “listening to him speak.” (Luke 10:39) Her heart is open to his words and she is giving herself to him completely, loving him with all her heart, with all her soul, and with all her mind. Her whole life reflects her love of the Lord, God.

Both Mary and Martha loved the Lord and had a special relationship with him. Some of us are like Mary, sitting and listening to God speaking, reflecting on God’s word. Others of us are like Martha, busy about God’s work. Let us not be so “anxious and worried,” that we block our ability to hear God speak to us, to feel his love and presence in our lives. Let us perform acts of service out of our love of God and others.

As you reflect on Mary and Martha, you might want to take time to find a way to balance within yourself the part of you that is “Mary,” sitting, listening and learning, and the other part of you that is “Martha,” serving others, and sometimes “anxious and worried.”

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SHARON PRIESTER has served as a parish catechist and director of religious education, Bible study leader, RCIA team member and coordinator, and regional director of religious education for the Diocese of Peoria. She is a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Bloomington.