The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
Am I a Martha or a Mary? I always struggle with this question. Raising children and running a home naturally forces you to be a Martha, a doer. I never seemed to have the time to be a Mary, sitting at the feet of Our Lord to listen to Him in the quiet of my heart. It took me years to realize, however, that we are not called to be a Martha OR a Mary, but to be both.
The first reading gives us an example of when it is time to be a Martha. When people need to be fed, when unexpected guests arrive, we have to be welcoming and open our hearts and our doors to them. As we sit around the table, we listen to their stories. We make them feel welcomed and part of the family. Martha-mode is preparing the meal. But in sitting at dinner, sharing food and conversation, we flip into Mary-mode.
In the Gospel, “Martha welcomed him.” She opened her home and heart to Him. I always wonder why Martha was so anxious at this particular moment. This couldn’t be the first time that Mary left Martha alone in the kitchen to prepare a meal for Our Lord. I think that Mary was a contemplative person by nature compared to Martha’s active personality.
I think Our Lord was trying to teach us through His comment to Martha to keep our priorities in the proper order. Martha seemed to be more concerned with chores and cooking rather than having Christ in her home. Too often in my life I get lost in this impropriety, too. If I could just finish the dishes, then I could sit down to pray, or if I could just finish the laundry, I could sit down to pray. If I had my priorities correct, I would have taken a few moments to pray before the dishes or the laundry. Now that my husband and I are approaching the “empty nester” phase of life, I am trying to balance the Mary and Martha in me. I have more peace in my heart and don’t mind the chores as much if I stop to pray first, to offer the work of my hands to Mother Mary and beg her to take that small sacrifice from me and present it to her Son on my behalf.
Carol McHale is happily married to Bob for almost 30 years. During the day she is a full-time staff member at a law school in Washington, DC and by night she enjoys the company of her adult children and granddaughters. Carol and Bob are looking forward to being empty nesters, the next adventure of their life-long adventure.