Today’s Gospel at Mass is the very familiar one of Martha and Mary. Martha is the anxious worker seeking to please the Lord with a good meal and hospitality. Mary sits quietly at his feet and listens. One has come to be the image of work, the other of prayer.
Misinterpreted? In my fifty-two years I have heard many a sermon that interpreted this Gospel passage as a call for a proper balance between work and prayer. Some have gone on to state that we all need a little of Martha and Mary in us and that the Church needs both Marthas and Marys.
But in the end it seems that such a conclusion misses the central point of this passage. Jesus does not conclude by saying, “Martha, Now do your thing and let Mary do hers.” He describes Mary as not only choosing the better part but also as doing the “one thing necessary.” This does not amount to a call for “proper balance” but instead underscores the radical priority and primacy of prayer. This, it would seem is the proper interpretive key for what is being taught here. Many other passages of the Scripture do set forth the need to be rich in works of charity but this is not one of them.
With that in mind let’s take a look at the details of the Lord’s teaching today on the Priority of Personal Prayer.
I. PROMISING PRELUDE – Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. Our story begins by showing Martha in a very favorable light. She opens her door, her life, if you will, and welcomes Jesus. This is at the heart of faith, a welcoming of Jesus into the home of our heart and life. Surely Revelation 3:20 comes to mind here: Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with him and he with me.
While we acknowledge this promising prelude we ought also to underscore the fact that the initiative is that of Jesus. The text says Jesus entered a village…. In the call of faith the initiative is always with God. It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you (Jn 15:16) Hence, while we must welcome Him, God leads. Martha hears the Lord’s call and responds. So far so good.
What happens next isn’t exactly clear but the impression is that Martha goes right to work. There is no evidence that Jesus asked for a meal from her, large or small. The text from Revelation just quoted does suggest that the Lord seeks to dine with us, but implies that it is he who will provide the meal. Surely the Eucharistic context of our faith emphasizes that it is the Lord who feeds us with his Word and with his Body and Blood.
At any rate, Martha seems to have told the Lord to make himself comfortable and has gone off to work in preparing a meal of her own. That she later experiences it to be such a burden is evidence that her idea emerged more from her flesh than the Spirit.
II. PORTRAIT OF PRAYER – She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Now here is a beautiful portrait of prayer: to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen.
Many people think of prayer as something that is said. But prayer is better understood as a conversation, and conversations include listening. Vocal prayer, intercessory prayer and the like are all noble and important but the prayer of listening is too often neglected.
Prayer is not just telling God what we want, it is discovering what He wills. We have to sit humbly and listen. We must learn to listen, and listen to learn. We listen by devoutly and slowing considering scripture (lectio divina), and by pondering how God is speaking in the events and people in our life, how God is whispering in our conscience and soul.
Jesus calls this kind of prayer “the one thing necessary” as we shall see. What Mary models and Martha forgets is that we must first come (to Jesus) then go (and do what he says)….that we must first receive, before we can achieve…..that we must first be blessed before we can do our best……that we must listen before we leap into action.
III. PERTURBED and PRESUMPTUOUS – 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.” – And so, sure enough Martha who is laboring in the flesh, but not likely in the Spirit and in accord with the Lord’s wishes, is now experiencing the whole thing as a burden. She blames her sister for all this but the Lord’s response will make it clear that this is not Mary’s issue.
One sign that we are not in God’s will is the experiencing of what we are doing as a burden. We are all limited and human and will experience ordinary fatigue. It is one thing to be weary in the work but it is another thing to be weary of the work.
A lot of people run off to do something they think is a good idea. And maybe it is a fine thing in itself. But they never asked God. God might have said, “Fine.” or He might have said, “Not now, but later.” Or He might have said, “Not you but some one else.” Or he might have just plain said, “No.” But instead of asking they just go off and do it and then when things don’t work out will often times blame God: “Why don’t you help me more!”
And so Martha is burdened. She first blames her sister. Then she presumes the Lord does not care about what is (to her) an obvious injustice. Then she takes presumption one step further and presumes to tell the Lord what to do: “Tell her to help me.”
This is what happens when we try to serve the Lord in the flesh. Instead of being true servants who listen to the Lord’s wishes and carry them out by his grace, we end up as angry and mildly (or not) dictatorial. She here is Martha, with her one hand on her hip and her index finger in the air 🙂 Jesus will be kind with her but firm.
IV. PRESCRIBED PRIORITY – 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. Now don’t let the Lord have to call you by your name twice! But it is clear the Lord wants her attention and that she has stumbled on a fatal mistake that we all can too easily make. She lept before she listened.
The Lord observes and says that she is anxious about many things. Anxiety about many things comes from neglect of the one thing most necessary: to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to him.
In life, the Lord will surely have things for us to do but they need to come from him. This is why prayer is the “one thing” necessary and the better part: because work flows from it and is subordinate to it.
Discernment is not easy but it is necessary. An awful lot of very noble ideas have floundered in the field of the flesh because they were never really brought before God and were not therefore a work of grace.
Jesus does not mean that ALL we are to do is pray. There are too many other Gospels that summon us to labor in the vineyard to say that. But what Jesus is very clear to say is that prayer and discernment have absolute priority. Otherwise expect to be anxious about many things and have little to show for it.
Scripture makes it clear that God must be the author and initiator of our works: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10).
And old prayer from the Roman Ritual also makes this plain: Actiones nostras, quaesumus Domine, aspirando praeveni et adiuvando prosequere: ut cuncta nostra oratio et operatio a te semper incipiat, et per te coepta finiatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum (Direct we beseech Thee, O Lord, our prayers and our actions by Thy holy inspirations and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance, so that every work of ours may always begin with Thee, and through Thee be ended). Amen
This song reminds that when we really ARE working in the Lord’s will and as the fruit of prayer we love what we do and do so with joy. This song says, “I keep so busy working for the Kingdom I ain’t got time to die!”
Here is a comment on Mary and Martha by St. Therese of Lisieux on page 258 of her Story of a Soul (ICS Publications:
“No doubt,she (a soul burning with love) will remain at Jesus’ feet as did Mary Magdalene, and she will listen to his sweet and burning words. Appearing to do nothing, she will give much more than Martha who torments herself with many things and wants her sister to imitate her. It is not Martha’s works that Jesus finds fault with; His divine Mother submitted humbly to these works all through her life since she had to prepare the meals of the Holy Family. It is only the restlessness of His ardent hostess that He willed to correct.”
Do not forget that St. Therese is a Doctor of the Church, and that one of the Popes called her a spiritual genius and the equal of St. Thomas Aquinas!
“Anxiety about many things comes from neglect of the one thing most necessary: to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to him.”
Amen! Great post, Monsignor!
I usually think of “praying” as speaking directly to the Lord, and “listening” when I read scriptures and other spiritual works and reflect on their meaning and my life. I have read quite a bit about contemplative prayer and really struggle with this. When I try to remain silent before the Lord and just “listen”, I usually fall asleep or quit because it feels like a waste of time.
Wonderful homily Msgr. Your parishioners are fortunate to have someone with such inspirational insights! I scratch my head wondering, though, how do you come up with all these videos to go along with your writings? Thanks for sharing!
I love to go to Eucharistic Adoration. Just sitting with the Lord brings me much peace. Lately when I spend time in his company I say a decade of the Rosary and then just stop between decades to be quiet. This afternoon I just sat in front of the tabernacle and could almost feels the rays penetrating from the tabernacle encompassing my very being. I felt as if I was basking in God’s glory. This silence is difficult for me because I am truly a type A personality. Always multitasking and I am very much like Martha. So little by little I will make and effort to stay silent and allow Jesus to work in me. This was a great column Monsignor and one of the best commentaries I have heard on this subject! God Bless You and thank you for taking the time to enlighten us.
From Bill Foley’s quote, “It is not Martha’s works that Jesus finds fault with; His divine Mother submitted humbly to these works all through her life since she had to prepare the meals of the Holy Family. It is only the restlessness of His ardent hostess that He willed to correct.”
One who listens to the creator of an idea fulfills a conversation of the creator’s but, if one listens to the Creator of all (John 1:1-3) then, as explained here, it is apparent that the listening passes a threshold level and becomes prayer. Until now I only saw a few disjointed parts of this story but, now I notice how distracted Martha had become as she escaped into work. The Word of Our Lord is often uncomfortable as it upsets pre-conceived notions and corrects our partial conclusions so, Martha seemed to escape into workaholism.
In the last ten years of my life I have come to see that the term “workaholism” as a true addiction and not just the metaphor which I had thought it to be. The fact that an addict (whether addicted to alcohol, street drugs or an intangeable such as gambling) who switches to workaholism usually manages to acheive economic security is a deception. When satan sees the continuing neglect of families; by things such as the father being too tired to mentor during his brief visits between overtime shifts while his (so called) dedication is extolled; he may well be jubilant. Did Our Saviour see demons rejoicing around the scenario as Martha presumed to order Him to get Mary to join in the escape from reality? Did the Holy Word throw a spike into the demonic plan? Was I lured into temptation to miss this very important message as I glossed over the passage and missed how Mary fulfilled the listener’s part? Mysteries abound before me but, now I see them as a challenge now that I have become active in my faith and do my part in listening to homilies.
Jesus had come to visit and there is no indication that He had requested a meal but, the actions described did show a wish to talk and impart some of His (often uncomfortable) wisdom. So, one person listens while the other appears to indulge in a work binge which she calls her sister to join in so that each could help the other rationalize a false value into the obsessive/compulsive escape.
Thank you so much for the clarity. Menial work needs to be done but, including prayerful listening raises us to higher levels than that of a hive animal which a total focus on menial work can take us to.
“I keep so busy working for the Kingdom I ain’t got time to die!”
…for the Love Who is in us never dies. 🙂
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia Online, Martha is a canonized saint; so, we can rest assured, that she finally got her act together. Maybe, Martha’s cares and anxieties are analogous to when Peter wanted, at the Transfiguration, to build booths and stay on the mountain or even to when Peter said, ” Lord, be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee, (Matthew 16: 22)”.–though Jesus’ rebuke of Peter in that instance appears more severe than His rebuke of Martha. Luke 10: 42 “But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.” I think Jesus is intimating the Trinity in that statement; each part of the Trinity is the best part and the one thing necessary.
Excellent and thought–and even prayer–provoking sermon.
@ RichardGTC Yes, but couldn’t Luke 10: 42 “But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her,” also be in some way referencing the Jesus’ divine nature and His human nature: That is that Martha is attempting to serve Jesus’ human nature whereas Mary is allowing herself to be fed by His divine nature, though I guess that she didn’t know at that time that Jesus has a divine nature. Also, if you ask people to make a list of the necessary things in life most people would put food on the list. Martha was preparing food. Martha was trying to give something, something she thought was necessary, whereas Mary was receiving something, and what she was receiving, Jesus’ teaching, Jesus said is the one thing necessary. I don’t know what to make of the this story coming immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan and right before Jesus teaches the disciple the Our Father.
If you asked a typical human to make a list of the necessary things in life, most of us would say food, water, shelter, clothing, and it would be easy for most of us to neglect to put a relationship with God on that list.
Thank you for publishing your meditations on the Gospels.
Thank you, Monsignor, for your beautiful invitation to prayer.
I’ve heard a few sermons on today’s readings that emphasize hospitality and service. I personally needed to hear your emphasis, that prayer is the better part. To me, that’s the harder thing, and I bet I’m not alone.