FOCUS
- Have you ever been so busy thinking about other problems that you did not pay attention to an important meeting that you have been waiting for for a long time?
- Do you prioritize thinking or doing?
- When you celebrate a party or gathering, do you have time to enjoy it or are you more concerned about checking that everything is happening exactly as you planned?
Jesus is visiting the house of Martha and Mary. Visitation is an important spiritual practice in the Gospels.
Visitation is a symbol of the salvation that is coming home. To open the doors to Jesus was a clear manifestation of the desire to open one’s own life to the Kingdom of God present in Jesus.
The stories of Jesus entering the houses of different people show us the missionary character of Jesus’ ministry. He is reaching people bringing them the good news and celebrating the proximity of God at a table gathering. Jesus used the visit to Martha and Maria to teach. Mary was enjoying the teaching, while Martha was focused on making the visit of Jesus comfortable. Mary was receiving the gift of Jesus; Martha was giving her best service to Jesus.
The story shows us two directions in the spirituality: the opportunity to receive grace and just rest in the presence of the Lord (Mary), and the opportunity to serve the Lord with all our energy (Martha).
EXPLORE
- Why did Luke decide to include this scene about a couple of sisters named Mary and Martha?
- Are you more like Mary (contemplative) or more like Martha (active) in your spirituality?
- Martha did not ask Mary to help her. She commanded Jesus, “Tell her to help me!” Do you ask God to move people to act in the way you expect?
- How could Martha become anxious and troubled if she only wanted to make the visit of Jesus comfortable?
- Mary has correctly discerned that listening to Jesus and learning his ways is more important than anything else she could choose. How do you think she arrives to this idea?
- In what ways do you sometimes find yourself busy, upset, and troubled like Martha?
- What patterns and practices could you institute in your daily life that would make you more like Mary?
- When you are in church, are you more interested in opportunities to learn more about the faith or in opportunities to serve others?
