July 17-18, 2010
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 18:1-10 Colossians 1:24-28 Luke 10:38-42
Given our ‘get out there and give it your best shot’ culture, this weekend’s Scripture selections can disturb our ‘can-do spirit.’ We live within a society that ‘tolerates’ the deep-thinkers…but we also make cartoons about the lone hermit sitting at the top of the mountain…and those who seek the meaning of life from them. Greater credence and relevance is bestowed on those who pursue advanced degrees, who busy themselves with creative enterprise…and of course the entrepreneurial guru who creates ‘something out of nothing.’ In some ways, today’s Gospel selection from Luke is a clear contrast between those who listen and think as opposed to those busy doing….and Jesus’ praise of the former is unsettling to those of us who get things done.
Martha is of course the whirlwind of effective domestic hospitality (related perhaps to another Martha of our own era???) while Mary is presented as the ‘non-worker’ who sits and listens to Jesus. How many times have we seethed at visiting relatives or friends who flop on our patios or barcoloungers while we are busy cleaning the dishes or emptying the trash? Does not St. Paul himself say that those who ‘are not willing to work should not eat’? Indeed!!! However, before we get too smug and self-satisfied….today it is Jesus himself who praises Mary and gently rebukes Martha….and therein lies the rub. The tendency of us to see the two women as polar opposites is part of OUR issue….we do approach many things as ‘one way or another’…rather than seeing solutions as a mix of approaches.
The qualities of Martha AND Mary are BOTH to be present within the healthy and balanced life….not just one or the other. Jesus has no quibble with Martha…until she criticizes the apparent laziness of Mary, seemingly dismissing her qualities of attentiveness. Jesus acknowledges that Martha is busy and anxious about many things…but reinserts the value and importance of Mary’s reflective approach toward hospitality.
Applying this reminder to our own lives…certain quaint sayings come to mind: ‘look before you leap’…. ‘measure twice – cut once’…. ‘Stop and smell the roses’…..or if quant sayings don’t float your boat, just go out and buy some M&Ms for your coffee table as a reminder when things are going crazy….the balanced life requires BOTH Martha AND Mary…not just one or the other!
Thanks for joining with our Corpus Christi parish community on this Summer Weekend….the occasion of our FIRST La Cena Summer Festival. Remember, another La Cena is scheduled for August…so even if you missed this weekend’s dinner, August is coming and promises to be even warmer!!! The Bulletin has info about upcoming summer events and programs which may be of interest to you, please take a copy home when you leave. As the fullness of summer enfolds you with traditional pleasures and opportunities, remember, you are loved. FKB
