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Mass Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Genesis 18:1-10A
Psalm: Psalm 15:2-5
Second Reading: Colossians 1:24-28
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
Are you or have you ever been a volunteer at church? My experience is that it’s very easy to get caught up in the mechanics of what’s happening because you want everything to be perfect – perfect for God, perfect for the priest, perfect for your friends and family who are at the mass. It’s so easy to be so distracted by the activities that I missed the point of the mass – that I failed to have an encounter with Jesus Christ. Does that mean that we shouldn’t worry about the setting up or preparing for the Mass? No, that’s not what I’m saying. Is participating in the Mass superior to being a volunteer who helps prepare for the Mass? No, absolutely not.
But that’s the message – or at least one of the messages – I hear when people talk about Martha and Mary as we heard in today’s Gospel. I have heard some people explain today’s Gospel to mean that the quiet life of contemplation and prayer represented by Mary’s example is superior to the life of action represented by Martha. Have you heard that before? Well, I think that’s really off base and I’d like to explain why.
I can live a life of contemplative prayer and close myself off to the world around me. If the example of Mary is better, then who could challenge my decision? What’s wrong with me, a deacon, a married man, a father, deciding that I’m going to spend the majority of my time alone in contemplative prayer and reading the Gospels – a life of near solitude marked only by my trips out of the house to attend mass?
Well hopefully everyone is saying something like, “No, that’s not right.” And you would be correct. Limiting myself in this way is not an expression of love for God.
Ok, but wait, does that mean that I can volunteer every waking minute of the day in some form of ministry, setting my family aside and dedicating myself to helping others? I mean, if we are all called to be missionary disciples, that is, if we are all called to bring the Good News to everyone, then wouldn’t it be ok to work myself to death, even at the expense of my family and friends? Again, I hope you’re answer is, “No.”
So, if extreme forms of “Mary” and extreme forms of “Martha” are wrong, what’s the right path for us?
First, just a refresher, we are called to be disciples. That means three things: first, that we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; second, that we want to learn more about Jesus and thus deepen our relationship with Him; and third, that we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Really, these are organized in order of importance. You can’t, for example, call yourself a Christian if you don’t believe in Jesus. That is to say, if you reject the doctrines of Trinity and the Incarnation, then you might be a holy and righteous person, but you are not Christian. The second to steps of discipleship mean nothing unless you accept Jesus and thus accept Trinity and the Incarnation.
So, you’re a Christian…now what? Well, you want to learn more about this person called Jesus whom you believe in and thus deepen your relationship with Him. That’s where the “Mary” from today’s Gospel comes into play. We are all called, like Mary, to listen. For us that means going to Mass on a regular basis. Jesus basically tells Martha that proper service for him is attention to his instruction. And what is at the heart of his instruction? Love. We grow in love for Jesus as we listen. But what comes of that love? Service.
That’s the third part of being a disciple. We grow in our love for Jesus and we want to share that love with others, starting with the people around us. When we do this, we call it sacramental, meaning when we serve others in the name of Jesus, our work becomes an effective sign of our love.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is not saying that what Martha is doing is wrong, but just ill-timed. Jesus is telling Martha, and all of us for that matter, that hearing the Word of God, that is listening to Jesus who is the Word made flesh, is the foundation of all action. But can we share the Good News indefinitely? No. We need time for rest and to refuel. We as Christians do that stepping out of the “Martha mode” and sitting down in the “Mary mode” so that we can listen to Jesus. And how exactly do we do that? Simple. We go to Mass.
Both Mary and Martha teach disciples that their following of Jesus and their service in his name will require frequent spiritual refueling by prayer, silence and communion with God. Otherwise, service can become a crushing responsibility, a burden rather than a vocation, or a loving response to the invitation of God.
Prayer and actions must be continuous, complementary and mutually dependent. Prayer without action is sterile, and action without prayer is empty. We are expected to be “contemplatives in action” because only those who listen carefully to the Word of God know how to behave in the way that God wants, when they show deep concern for the well-being of other people.
Homework!
- Do you allow yourself to become spiritually recharged during the mass?
- Would you describe your work – the things you do every day – as a sacrament or an effective sign of your love for God? If no, then what needs to change?
I think our homework this week will continue to help form us into more effective disciples for Jesus Christ. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!