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Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Luke 10:38–39

It’s interesting that it was Martha who welcomed Jesus, but it was Mary who sat at His feet listening to Him. As the story goes on, we discover that Martha took her responsibility of hospitality seriously; she was very busy preparing a meal. But it appears that Mary needed a different form of hospitality from our Lord Himself. As Martha prepared to feed Jesus so as to care for His physical hunger, Mary sought to be fed by our Lord so as to feed her spiritual hunger. And interestingly, it was the generosity of Martha who was diligent in preparing the meal that made it possible for her sister to receive the spiritual food she longed for.

When we read this story, we can easily become critical of Martha because she complained to Jesus about her sister. It is easy to see Martha’s frustration in her words, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” And though Martha may have been a little impatient, Jesus’ response to her was gentle and corrective. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” What was that “better part?” It was Mary’s prayerful attentiveness to Jesus. She was hungry for His teaching, and Jesus offered it to her in a very personal and loving way. And though this image of Mary before Jesus is a beautiful image to ponder and to use as a model of our own prayer, there is also something important to be said about Martha’s role in making Mary’s prayer possible.

Because Martha was diligent in taking care of the duties of hospitality, Mary felt the freedom to sit at Jesus’ feet. Perhaps the ideal response from Martha would have been to notice that Mary was being spiritually fed by our Lord and to rejoice in that fact, giving her the continued freedom to sit at Jesus’ feet. If Martha would have realized this, then she would have continued working in the background so that her sister could continue listening to Jesus. But even though Martha did interrupt this sacred moment for her sister, the fact remains that her initial diligence in taking care of preparing the meal did give Mary some time alone with Jesus.

In a similar way, we will all be given various opportunities in life to take care of the daily mundane tasks that are needed within a family or community. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that unless everyone does their equal part, then things are not fair. But being “fair” should not be our focus. True charity, especially within the family, means that, first and foremost, we look for opportunities to better the lives of those around us. For example, spending extra time cleaning a home so that others can enjoy it more adds much to family life. Or spending hours preparing a nice meal for family or friends may afford everyone the opportunity of time well spent together. These are only a couple of the countless ways that our diligence and generosity toward others is fruitful, especially within family life.

Reflect, today, upon these two women and the unique calling they each were given at the time of Jesus’ visit to their house. One was called to be fed by our Lord as she sat at His feet. The other was called to work hard so as to make it easier for her sister to receive that spiritual nourishment. Know that both of these callings are important. For that reason, if God calls you to be more like Martha at times, rejoice in that fact and work hard at serving in many ways.

If God calls you to be more like Mary at times, then rejoice in those moments and sit prayerfully at the feet of our Lord, being fed by His holy Words. My gentle Lord, when You came to the home of Martha and Mary, You fed Mary with Your Word and fed Martha by your gentle correction. I thank You for these two women and the roles they both play in teaching me how to love and to serve. May I always be diligent in my service to others, and may I always embrace every moment that You invite me to sit at Your feet in prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Johannes Vermeer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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