5 October 2021
Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
What takes place between Jesus, Mary, and Martha in this Gospel passage is often a mystery to many. At face value it seems Jesus is showing a preference for prayer or piety over ministry or service, that Martha has simply missed the point. But notice Jesus does not tell her to stop what she is doing, and does not say it is wrong. Rather, He simply says that her sister has chosen the best thing, the better of two good things. Mary was giving Jesus her full attention, opening her heart to receiving Him and His Word as her inmost guest; Martha was striving to make Him welcome in her home, to nourish His Body and see to the demands of hospitality. Yet she was missing out on the beautiful opportunity to enjoy the presence of the Son of God, if she so desired. In other words, had she set down her broom, her dishes, for a time, her little house would become more like Heaven, sitting at the Master’s feet in attentive love and adoration. The better part indeed! Would that we might all be attentive to such opportunities presented to us!