16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

Readings: Genesis 18:1-10

Colossians 1:24-28
     Luke 10:38-42

"Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the
better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Today's gospel still belongs to the Lukan journey narratives. As Jesus travels to Bethany, the gospel sets us in this particular scenario: his visit to the house of Martha and Mary. This alone gives us a “human touch" in the personality of our Lord. Like anybody else, he also has intimate friends whom he can always be at home with. Indeed, Martha and Mary are true friends. They welcome the Lord so dearly. Martha prepares the table while Mary entertains the Lord by listening to him. But this gospel narrative is more than a friendly visit. Perhaps the occasion is just so casual and ordinary, but Jesus picks this up to teach another wonderful lesson. Let us meditate on it along these points.

1.             Among others, human life consists basically of two things: thinking and acting. A plant neither thinks nor acts. An animal does act but does not think. Only man does both, and he who does both lives normally. In the most familiar parlance, therefore, thinking and acting make human life normal.

a.             Mary stands for the thinking part of life. On the first place, the name Mary has a very strong biblical significance. Jesus' mother’s name is Mary. She is that most obedient woman who keeps and ponders over things in her heart. In another occasion, the woman who so humbles herself as to wash the Lord’s feet with her tears, wipe them with her hair and pours them with expensive perfume is also named Mary. Now, we see another woman named Mary who reclines at the feet of Jesus just to listen to him. Luke must have used this name to convey one outstanding characteristic of those women named Mary: a tender woman who loves and prioritizes heavenly things. In today's gospel, she is that woman who thinks and meditates on the Word of God.

b.             Martha, on the other hand, stands for the acting part of life. The name Martha means lady. Luke must have also used this name to inject the feminine character of hospitality. That is why the evangelist portrays her as that loving lady who is so concerned with the things which may immediately answer the needs of Jesus and his disciples. She knows how the Lord must have been so tired and hungry from their long missionary journey. Certainly, the table must be prepared! So she does the job. She acts.

2.             Christian life is like this way, too. That is why theology ascribes to Orthodoxy as the right doctrine (thinking) and to Orthopraxis as the right practice (acting). Note significantly, however, that that which makes the thinking and the acting right is what theology is more concerned of.

a.             “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?” Most often, we take Martha's attitude so harshly. Perhaps, it might be because Jesus himself admonishes her. But a kind look at the situation may make us understand that Martha simply acts according to her prudence. There are surely a lot of things to do at that time and it is just a matter of justice that Mary must busy herself too. Being left alone with the job, Martha does not really demand so much other. Wisdom has it” “everything has its proper place and proper time.” True, it's really worthwhile to listen to the Master. That's what everybody wants, even Martha herself. But to Martha, there is just another proper time for it anyway and the two of them will listen together. Besides, Martha may simply want to save Jesus from that tiresome occasion. Humanly speaking, who would have the energy and patience "to preach again" after a long journey of preaching? So, does Mary really want to listen, or does she simply want to escape from the household work? Well, we safely assume that she really does want to listen. Jesus praises her, after all. But perhaps because of her too much eagerness, she may have left or simply forgotten many things behind. And this is no orthodoxy. Good, Martha is there to pick them up. But sadly, too, Martha acts more than what is expected.

b.             “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” If Mary may have been so eager to listen, Martha is also too much anxious and worried about what she is doing. True, it may have been prudent for her to attend to the entire kitchen job. Had there been not any Martha, either Jesus would be so disappointed not to find somebody prepares the table, or Mary would be forced herself to become “Martha". And in the latter’s case, there would neither be Mary nor Martha. But over and above Martha's best intentions, she is just over concerned about what she does, thus making her job over extended. And this is no Orthopraxis.

3.             "Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Here now enters the catechesis of Jesus. And he is just too kind and polite not offend any of them, and indeed so wise to put things in order. Here's the wisdom of his answer.

a.             "Only one thing is needed.” We may propose many other things to mean this one thing. But we have enough good reasons to suppose that this one thing means the life of grace. Meaning, man needs to live a life pleasing to God. Now, this one thing is found neither in Mary alone nor in Martha alone, but in both of them. Why? Because this one thing has two parts: one, that which is personified by Mary; two; that which is personified by Martha. And remember, this has only two parts, not one nor three. Otherwise, if only one, Jesus would have said: “Mary has chosen it.”  Or if three, he would have said: "Mary has chosen the best," But again, Jesus is just so wise and clear as to say: “Mary has chosen the better part." And this goes to say, too, that Martha has the good part of it.

b.             This supposition seems right because the way of Lord means orthodoxy and Orthopraxis. It is always a balance between doctrine and practice, thinking and acting, praying and doing. It is not either Mary or Martha, but both. Any over stress of one becomes a "heresy." At times, we feel awkward to say "heresy of prayer.” But certainly, there is that kind of heresy. Even the monks have many things to attend to aside from praying and praying. St. Basil always reminds his monks: “ora et labora” (Pray and work). Or else, perhaps we may just find ourselves too much involved with and engaged in our apostolate that we forget about Mary's part. This makes the “heresy of work." And this seems to be the failure of Martha. True, work can be a form of prayer. But one thing is to work with people and another thing is to be alone with the Lord. Surely, torn between these two, Martha's choice is good, but Mary's part is better!