1. A few nights ago, and this could be any night, after supper after a hard day, instead of helping clear the table and wash or dry dishes, I went into the living room unnoticed by Beth right away and I laid down to get a ‘Power Nap’. Just a few minutes into the get away, she peered around the corner and barked the command “get out here and help”. This time, because I usually don’t sass back, I said with my eyes shut; “Beth, Beth. You are anxious about many things. There is only 1 thing I NEED to do. And that’s take a nap. Please don’t take this ‘BETTER PART’ of my day. You’re wrong, I am the PERFECT HUSBAND. I willingly got up and dried the dishes.
2. Mary and especially the ambitious Martha have earned a ‘SPECIAL SPOT’ in our hearts. The sisters are in many important scripture stories. 4 weeks ago, Mary, in Gratitude, came to the Lord and anointed and washed his feet. Both sisters are in the Gospel of Raising Lazarus. The ‘Myrrh Bearing’ sisters are also at the scene of the Resurrection. Martha stands out as a symbol of a HARD Worker. Martha is the patron saint for: Butlers, cooks, dietitians, domestic servants, homemakers, hotel keepers, house maids, house wives, laundry workers, man servants, and travelers. No wonder that people CONNECT and sympathize with her. Mary is the patron for CONTEMPLATIVE life. The Icon for those who love to ‘PRAY’. How attractive is that?
3. The church is currently using Luke chapters 9-10-11. They focus on the ‘Christian Way’ of life. So far in these chapters we have heard the Gospel about the Good Samaritan. The Disciples being sent in pairs to evangelize. Today we have Martha and Mary who exemplify Christian Hospitality. And to come will be the importance of Prayer in our lives.
To understand Hospitality, we need to know in the time of Christ, only residents of Jerusalem were allowed to spend the night within the city walls. Since Our Lord needed to conduct business in Jerusalem, it was very likely that he had an ‘OPEN INVITATION’ to stay with Martha and Mary in Bethany, (Bethany means House of God) a village close to Jerusalem. The Gospels tell us Jesus was FRIENDS with Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus. The shortest sentence in the Gospel’s is: ‘Jesus Wept.’ It was before he raised Lazarus back to life, as he consoled Martha and Mary.
4. The Gospel presents the Hospitality of the two women as contrasting, but complementary. MARTHA was a doer, a capable young woman who organized and ran a fairly large household. MARY was a thinker, interested in ideas. MARTHA objected to the fact that she had to work to serve the Guest, while MARY ‘sat and listened’ to the Guest. Jesus told us though, that this was the ‘BETTER CHOICE’ and here’s why.
The usual posture of a disciple of any teacher in the ancient world was to ‘SIT and LISTEN’. Disciples though, were usually male, so Mary must have been quietly breaking the rule that reserved study for males, not females.
Martha was not just asking for help. She was DEMAND- ING that Mary keep to the traditional ROLE for women. ‘Lord…do you not care…that she has left me to SERVE?’ Jesus was counter cultural. He upheld Mary’s right to listen, think about ideas, and to develop her mind. Women should not be limited to the tasks that society laid down for them, but be allowed access to ideas, as Jewish men were.
Since Jesus had previously encouraged the idea of service among his followers, he was not saying that Martha’s role of service was unimportant. What He is telling us is: that it is MORE IMPORTANT for a disciple to learn and listen about the Kingdom than to be about everyday tasks. That is the ‘Better Portion’. And in fact as Mary ‘Sat and Listened’ to Jesus the Guest, the roles actually became reversed. In this Gospel, Jesus becomes the Host and Mary the Guest. Divine Hospitality!
Today, we each have chosen that ‘Better Portion’. We are all here at Jesus Feet, listening and learning. Not one of you is at home cooking, cleaning or sleeping. For the moment we are all Mary’s… Guests of the Lord’s Hospitality. Enjoy!
5. In our Church, a ‘House of God’, we have that important balance of Prayer and Work. As we walk out that door, after enjoying that ‘Better Portion’ of sitting at the feet of the Lord, know that the work of the Christian Life continues. We know we need to be the Good Samaritans, reaching out to those in need. We know we need to be the Disciples sent on mission to preach the kingdom of God. Yet importantly today, each family home needs to run a domestic ‘House of God’, like that of Martha and Mary. A place where the ‘Martha’s’ will get the necessary work of a home done, but each household will allow the ‘MARY’S’ to develop and build that ‘Better Portion’ of sitting at Jesus Feet, into the families daily lives. Yet that is the Question today…is that happening in your home?
To that end… Does your family pray together? Do you Celebrate the Liturgical Seasons together? Do you read and discuss the issues together allowing the Catholic perspective to be clearly heard? Nothing was said about what Jesus and Mary were discussing that day. They might have been talking about the Good Samaritan or maybe the 72 disciples who went out to evangelize. Does your good Catholic home have pictures, bibles, spiritual books or crosses prominently displayed? Know that in your own Hospitality of inviting Jesus into your home, He will turn the roles around. Your family will become His Guests and He will serve you needs.
6. The Karpuk Way of ‘Christian Life’ at home is, let me tell you, well balanced. There is plenty of time for the Hospitality of the Lord… some ‘to sit at His feet’. Some to get the ‘WORK’ done. The ONLY wish I have is: is that there would also be some time set aside for a ‘POWER NAP’.
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