Homilies

16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: MARTHA AND MARY

THE GOSPEL PASSAGE shows us that, like ourselves, Jesus had also some good friends. The gospel mentioned Jesus’ friends as Martha and Mary who resided in the little village of Bethany. Jesus used to visit the home of these sisters, and they were considered as among the closest friends of Jesus. The sisters had a brother named Lazarus. This visit of Jesus to Martha and Mary’s place is not the only one recorded in the gospels. When Lazarus died, Jesus raised him from death and gave back to the two sisters.

Let us reflect on the two different responses of the two sisters when Jesus visited their home. Certainly, we may find Martha’s hospitality is as important as Mary’s listening to Jesus. Well, for some, hospitality is even more important than simply listening to a guest. But I am sure most of us are not at home with the comment of Jesus: that Mary has chosen the better part.

Now, I think we need to understand the context so that we could have a better insight into the passage and to the words that Jesus had said.

First, Jesus said that Mary has chosen the better part. Let us take note that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, and he was aware of the Cross and his impending death. So, when he called in his friends it was because he wanted to momentarily forget these concerns, and thus to have rest. In other words, the need of Jesus at that moment was somebody who could listen to him, and perhaps to console him. If Jesus’ visit is seen in the context of the suffering that he was about to undergo, then listening was the call of the moment. And Jesus was right! Mary indeed had chosen the better part because she responded to the need of the moment and she gave undivided attention to Jesus.

Second, Martha’s hospitality was also deemed necessary. In fact, as a famous religious saint said, if Martha imitated Mary by sitting beside Jesus and simply listened to him, Jesus could have gone to Jerusalem without having a dinner. Most of us can associate with Martha. Whenever a friend would come to visit our home, our immediate concern is hospitality. We usually do some preparations, like cleaning the house, and offer good food to the visitor. We always want satisfaction on the part of the guests. We usually give our best, and give the best food because we want our guests to be satisfied. But, again, the call of the moment was not a lavish hospitality, but Jesus simply wanted to have rest.

In real life, we acknowledge the importance of hospitality and listening. These can go together though. A gathering which is centered only on the meal is considered shallow. It should be coupled with sharing. A celebration should be an occasion of sharing and fellowship in order to strengthen the relationship with one another.

Talking about spirituality, Martha and Mary became the point for attaining a healthy spirituality. In religious congregations, prayer and work are both considered important in their day to day life. Contemplation and action should always go together. Prayer without action is insufficient. Action without prayer is also dangerous because it is not rooted in God.

The world that we live in is a fast-paced world. It teaches us to be always in a hurry. It makes us always busy. Because we are too busy, we don’t have any more time to listen to each other. Children felt they are no longer listened to because parents are preoccupied with many things. Thus, they rebelled against their parents. And worse, we do not have also time to listen to God; we fail to offer time to spend with God.The gospel teaches us that no matter how busy we are, we should learn to pause, to listen, and to pray. Prayer is necessary for our guidance and direction. Often we could have wrong priorities in life because things have not been well reflected. Prayer or sitting at the feet of Jesus can help us in setting right directions.

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