July 22, 2007

I am totally Martha & not proud of it

It's Sunday and I headed to mass with my mother. I heard the Gospel reading and I cannot help, but smile. How many times have we heard the story of Martha and Mary? To be honest I have lost track. Here it is one more time...

Gospel - Lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“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.”

This Sunday however the visiting priest said something very direct. "If you feel sorry for Martha, you don't have a good spiritual life." Wow, it hit home for me this week. I thought I was enjoying my routine at home, I go to mass, holy hour, sometimes go to Panera with some ladies from Church, make a little phone calls, drive around from appointment to appointment and prepare dinner for my parents from their long hours from work. Yes, I will admit it, I do feel sorry for Martha, she gets stuck "doing" all the work. I am jealous of Mary sometimes even because that would be the life to sit and listen to our Lord. Mary is "being."

Comes back to the point that I will always struggle with. We are not human "doings" we are human "beings." I don't know if I will ever come to learn this concept. If we are not making ever aspect of our life a prayer than we will always feel like Martha. Even the simple tasks like water the plants or taking out the trash should be a form a prayer. Thanking God we have things to throw away and fragrance and beauty of flowers to water. Or are you thinking like me and saying that it's too hot to step outside and I don't want to carry around smelly bags. So thank you for the prayers because I can always use more graces.

St. Martha's feast day is July 29th, next sunday, so this week ask for her intercession to learn to be.

Lord, help me to be in your presence in all that do and listen to what you are asking me to do.

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