Readings: Jer. 15:10.16-21; Ps. 59; Luke 10:38-42
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, very close family friends of Jesus. In this family, we see what should be a good example of our attitude towards Jesus in our families. In our relationship with Jesus, we often struggle to understand what Jesus requires of us.
Oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, and this often distracts us from relating to Jesus properly. But Jesus will always have a way of teaching us how to relate to him despite our different charisms and dispositions.
This is what is playing out in our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable as he visited them at their house in Bethany.
But when Martha observed that her sister Mary was not helping out in the preparation, but was rather busy listening to Jesus, she said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her”.
Here, Jesus is not condemning this great sacrificial virtue nor condoning laziness. Rather, he is saying that being busy without listening and listening without doing is completely worthless. Because in our relationship with him, Jesus wants us to learn how to listen to him even in our busy schedules.
Hence, he gently corrected the impression of Martha, who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risked losing sight of what is really important: listening to Jesus. This is because Martha gives the impression that Mary is just sitting there doing nothing. But, in fact, she was listening to Jesus.
However, Jesus is not telling us to be content with sitting down to listen to his word, for he always insists that the best way of listening to his word is by putting it into practice. His objection to Martha is that she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so she was not able to really listen to him, and for Jesus, listening is the best option.
This act of listening to God is what we see in the life of the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading today as we heard the Lord saying to him: I will make you
a bronze wall fortified against this people. They will fight against you but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to deliver you.
Dear friends, in our relationship with Jesus, are we more of a listener or more of an accommodating and caring person? Are we more like Martha, Mary or Lazarus for they were all close family friends of Jesus? Today, many of us are so busy and anxious about so many things that we have no time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing the situation we are actually busy trying to solve.
Today we are called, like Martha, to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Remember Martha, who was known as a friend of Jesus, loved to welcome him into her home.
Let us also learn from her, for it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring, especially when we spend quality time listening to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks without being distracted by the things of this passing world.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are anxious and worried about so many things, but indeed only one thing is needed, give us the grace to truly listen to your word and so have a caring and hospitable family just like St. Martha, Mary and Lazarus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.
No comments:
Post a Comment