Let's take a break!

I have heard the Gospel story of Mary and Martha so many times that I thought I had exhausted all the lessons I could learn from the story. (Lk 10:38-42 – today’s Gospel reading). Since I am a Catholic Religious Sister I sometimes think I am always Mary and never Martha.  HAH!  Each time I hear the story I am convicted!  Sisters can get busier than a lot of people, doing the “work of the Lord.” Sometimes that work of the Lord is MY work!

In today’s world there are far too few Marys and so many Marthas.  We are judged, we think, on how much we can accomplish.  And who has time to sit at the Lord’s feet anyway?  Are you saying, “not me”?  So many people are so busy that getting out of bed on a Sunday morning is a challenge and they can’t make it to Mass.  “This is my day of rest,” they say.  Of course Sunday is a day of rest but it is the Lord’s Day and He comes first.  The Lord calls us to find rest in Him: "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Mt 11:29)

Our Sisters get distressed because so many of the children taught in their Religious Education programs never get to Mass because their parents do not go.  At Mass Jesus comes to visit us in the Eucharist just as he visited Mary, Martha and their brother, Lazarus.   As the deacon said at Mass this morning, Jesus did not come to Bethany for a free meal but to share His life with Mary and Martha.  Jesus wasn’t hungry for food but Mary and Martha’s hearts were hungering for the words of the Lord – and so are ours.

Let us take time this week to spend some time at the feet of Jesus.  Put a crucifix above the washing machine so you can look at him as you do the laundry.  Put a picture of Jesus in your purse or in your top desk drawer so you can talk to him for just a minute during a break in your day.  Stick a picture of Jesus on your dash board and look at him while waiting in traffic.  Students, put a picture of Jesus on the cover of your textbook and speak with him as you crack it open before class.

I have Jesus 24-7 in the tabernacle in our chapel.  I have no excuse for not spending time with Him.  I will pray for you and please pray for me.  Let us choose to be Mary this week.  Much of the time we are Martha who WAS a loving servant of the Lord. She loved Jesus and He loved her.  He would spend time at her home in Bethany.  But on this particular occasion Martha was busy about trying to serve Jesus and all He wanted was to see her at His feet.