+ Today's gospel passage needs to be carefully and clearly understood. BOTH listening to, and then serving, the Lord are necessary and important; welcoming him into our presence, and then allowing his presence to make a big difference in the way we treat people afterwards; sitting at the Lord's feet; and then being his hands and feet and arms to embrace all who need his compassionate care!
If Jesus was reprimanding Martha today, perhaps it was just to emphasize the point that service must always be preceded by prayer and listening
to God for his will. Otherwise, our service, our work, what we do for others could be aimless and less than it could be. But what he is not saying is that one is more important than the other in the total picture! BOTH ARE NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT! It is possible to be both attentive to Jesus ("the better portion") and to attend to the needs of others (Martha's portion) at the same time. Perhaps this is the real lesson here.
What is also to be understood clearly from this passage is that not only men are called to be disciples of Jesus, but also women. Women too are equal to men insofar as they can be hearers and doers of God's will and ways – each in the design and way that God has in mind.
In the first reading today we have a holy man and a holy woman
welcoming God into their lives. Some say that the three visitors represent the Holy Trinity itself. And that our Father in Faith, Abraham, and his wife Sarah in being so hospitable to them – serving their needs – were rewarded by the announcement that Sarah – even in her old age – would in one year's time be the mother of a son – Isaac.
When we welcome Jesus into our lives, we also welcome the other persons of the Trinity as well: Father and Spirit. It cannot be otherwise! And it is their dynamic, effusive, ever-expanding life of giving and service within us that motivates us and moves us to live not only like them, but to be them, for our brothers and sisters.
This love, this service, is not always an easy thing – as our second reading tells us. And we must, by our willing self-sacrifice make up for what is still lacking in the sufferings of Christ: in the now physical manifestation of his Body, the Church, which is still in so many ways imperfect. May we gladly offer our own crosses and sufferings* so that the Church will become purified and perfect – and become the spotless Bride of Christ that it is intended to be in heaven; and that the world may be transformed into the glorious Kingdom of God with Jesus reigning as King forever!
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.
No comments:
Post a Comment