Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori”
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

(Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time)

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Ligouri

Readings for Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38

Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.

On the first day of the first month of the second year

the Dwelling was erected.

It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.

He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,

and set up its columns.

He spread the tent over the Dwelling

and put the covering on top of the tent,

as the LORD had commanded him.

He took the commandments and put them in the ark;

he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.

He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,

thus screening off the ark of the commandments,

as the LORD had commanded him.

Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,

and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.

Moses could not enter the meeting tent,

because the cloud settled down upon it

and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.

Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,

the children of Israel would set out on their journey.

But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;

only when it lifted did they go forward.

In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;

whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud

by the whole house of Israel

in all the stages of their journey.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ex 40:16-21, 34-38

This reading from Exodus gives the details of the establishment of the meeting tent referred to earlier in the story of the journey of the Children of Israel.  The Ark of the Commandments is placed here and through the perception by the people of the will of God as symbolized by the cloud over the tent, they are guided on the path God has chosen for them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

R.(2) How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines

for the courts of the LORD.

My heart and my flesh

cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest

in which she puts her young–

Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!

continually they praise you.

Blessed the men whose strength you are!

They go from strength to strength.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

Psalm 84 gives thanks for the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem.  Placed as it is, supporting the story of the establishment of the “meeting tent”, the praise given to the Temple may also be applied to the less permanent symbol of God’s guiding presence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53

Jesus said to the disciples:

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,

which collects fish of every kind.

When it is full they haul it ashore

and sit down to put what is good into buckets.

What is bad they throw away.

Thus it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous

and throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

"Do you understand all these things?"

They answered, "Yes."

And he replied,

"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven

is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom

both the new and the old."

When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Mt 13:47-53

Jesus concludes his discourse about the Kingdom of Heaven with a final parable about the fisherman’s net.  He then makes reference to the disciples’ (and their successor’s) role as “Christian scribes” or teachers of the Kingdom of God.  In his description he refers to the “new and the old” being brought out.  This reference is to the new teaching from Jesus and the old from the Law and Prophets.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homily:

The sacred history recorded in Exodus depicts a people seeking to follow God’s will for them.  It is explicitly stated that “Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.” 

Indeed the Bible is filled with stories of people seeking to do God’s will; sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing.  The parable of the Fisherman’s Net is laid in our hands today.  It gathers up all of the examples of earlier generations struggling to follow the will of God and tells us that the challenge of discerning that will and helping others to do so is ours as well.

The Lord reminds us, by his very existence among us, of how precious we are to him.  We quote St. Peter Chrysologus here whose feast we celebrate on this day and who said of the incarnation of Christ:

“Why then man, are you so worthless in your own eyes and yet so precious to God? Why render your self such dishonor when you are honored by him?  Why do you ask how you were created and do not seek to know why you were made?”

– St. Peter Chrysologus from a homily on the incarnation of Christ

All of us are precious in the eyes of Christ whose love for us cascades from the altar of his sacrifice.  All of us were given life and purpose by him who loves and supports us with his Holy Spirit.  We are asked to be the net as well as the catch in this parable.

Today our prayer is that we are constantly vigilant and prepared to be what the great lover of souls has called us to be.

Pax

---

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

“Ignatius of Loyola”
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

(Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time)

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Readings for Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 34:29-35

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai

with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,

he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant

while he conversed with the LORD.

When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses

and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,

they were afraid to come near him.

Only after Moses called to them did Aaron

and all the rulers of the community come back to him.

Moses then spoke to them.

Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,

and he enjoined on them all that the LORD

had told him on Mount Sinai.

When he finished speaking with them,

he put a veil over his face.

Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,

he removed the veil until he came out again.

On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel

all that had been commanded.

Then the children of Israel would see

that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;

so he would again put the veil over his face

until he went in to converse with the LORD.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ex 34:29-35

Moses returns a second time (see Exodus 32:19) bearing the tablets of the Law to his charges, the children of Israel whom he has lead out of Egypt. The startling change in Moses appearance (“…the skin of Moses’ face was radiant”) will later be remembered as Jesus is transfigured in front of his disciples (Matthew 17:1-9,  Luke 9:28b-36, and Mark 9:1-8). The episode concludes with Moses veiling his face. “St. Paul sees in this a symbol of the failure of the Jews to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah: the true spiritual meaning of the writings of Moses and the prophets is still veiled from the unbelieving Jews. Cf 2 Corinthians 3:7-18.”[4]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 99:5, 6, 7, 9

R. (see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.

Extol the LORD, our God,

and worship at his footstool;

holy is he!

R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;

they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.

R. Holy is the Lord our God.

From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;

they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.

R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Extol the LORD, our God,

and worship at his holy mountain;

for holy is the LORD, our God.

R. Holy is the Lord our God.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9

This psalm of praise and thanksgiving holds up the traditions of Moses and Aaron. The praise and respect given to the Law of Moses extolled here stands between Paul’s assertion that the New Covenant superseded the covenant of Moses and Jesus assurance that the Law of Moses stands firm. The psalmist recalls the great boon given to the Children of Israel as God gave the Law to Moses on the holy mountain.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,

which a person finds and hides again,

and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

searching for fine pearls.

When he finds a pearl of great price,

he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Mt 13:44-46

The parable of the Buried Treasure and the parable of the Pearl have the same point. One who understands the Kingdom of Heaven and sees its worth joyfully places obtaining that promise before all else. It is the primacy of Christ’s teaching that guides the disciple in all things. While these two parables have generally the same meaning it is interesting to note they have some subtle differences. The parable of the hidden treasure which is found by accident refers to an abundance of gifts.  The parable of the pearl sought out through diligence refers to the beauty of the Kingdom of God. 

“Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it […]. The Kingdom of heaven is difficult to win.  No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of the repentant man can open wide its doors” (St. Joesemaria Excriva, Christ Is Passing By, 180).[5]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

We reflect today on the outward signs of inner conversion.  In the first reading today we hear how Moses, after having a close encounter of the holiest kind, came down the mountain and “he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant”.  It was as if he had stepped across the threshold and had entered the Kingdom of God.  From that point, the light of his spirit burst out and his physical appearance to those who knew him changed.

So remarkable was this change that his friends asked him to veil his face so they would not see it.  Why would they ask such a thing?  It could have been because they were afraid that by looking upon one who had been so thoroughly converted by God they might die, which is what they thought would happen if they ever saw God, face to face. 

Their fear could also have been because they recognized their own sinfulness.  Like placing a poor copy of a beautiful painting next to the original, the contrast became so apparent that they could not accept their own flaws.  As a result, they asked Moses to cover himself so he would not shame them.

Faith and conversion have that effect.  Internal conversion manifests itself externally.  It is something we must all remember.  A wise person once said, “The person who can remain calm in the face of a heated argument has already won.”  This true statement has a side effect.  The person who cannot remain calm in the face of an emotional argument will become even more incensed and irrational in the face of that calm.  The same is true of the outward peace of conversion in the face of the enemy.  That wondrous peace of Christ can stir up resentment and mistrust in those who do not understand it.  It is something we must be at least aware of because that resentment can blind side us if we are not aware that our inner peace has an exterior affect.

None the less, today we pray for that complete conversion that will cause us to glow with the light of our spirit.  May all who encounter us see that light and be comforted by it.

Pax

---

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is “Ignatius of Loyola” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] See NAB footnote on Exodus 34:33

[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.136

Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Parable of the weeds”
by Johann Christoph Weigel  Published in1695

(Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus

Readings for Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28

The tent, which was called the meeting tent,

Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp.

Anyone who wished to consult the LORD

would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.

Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise

and stand at the entrance of their own tents,

watching Moses until he entered the tent.

As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down

and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.

On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent,

all the people would rise and worship

at the entrance of their own tents.

The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,

as one man speaks to another.

Moses would then return to the camp,

but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun,

would not move out of the tent.

Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”

Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,

“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,

slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,

continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,

and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;

yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,

but punishing children and grandchildren

to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!”

Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.

Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD,

do come along in our company.

This is indeed a stiff-necked people;

yet pardon our wickedness and sins,

and receive us as your own.”

So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights,

without eating any food or drinking any water,

and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,

the ten commandments.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28

The excerpts from the Book of Exodus paint a picture of Moses relationship with God.  It is clear from this and previous readings about Moses that he had a unique relationship with the Lord and was able, as he is in this passage, to intercede on behalf of the people.  The construction of the meeting tent described in this passage is taken up in later scripture.  The Ten Commandments are restored to the people following their destruction in Exodus 32:19 as Moses fasts.  We note the duration of his fast is of the same duration as Christ’s fast in the desert following his Baptism by John.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

The LORD secures justice

and the rights of all the oppressed.

He has made known his ways to Moses,

and his deeds to the children of Israel.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

He will not always chide,

nor does he keep his wrath forever.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he put our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

Psalm 103 echoes in gratitude the gift of the Law from Exodus and the relationship of Moses to God the Father.  Though we are unworthy, God shows us love and compassion.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

His disciples approached him and said,

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,

the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One,

and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,

so will it be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send his angels,

and they will collect out of his Kingdom

all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Mt 13:36-43

Jesus dismisses the crowd who, in this instance, represent the unbelieving of Israel.  The remainder of this passage is directed at instruction of the disciples.  The Lord’s explanation of the parable of the weeds clearly shows the intent of the story.  The judgment of the wicked by God through his angels will take place in the Eschaton (the end times – the end of the age. The righteous will be vindicated (shine like the sun).  The final statement; “Whoever has ears ought to hear” is both a warning and a statement of need for patience by the faithful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

So often we forget that there is a dynamic struggle taking place in the world between God and his nemesis, the Evil One, as the Gospel names him.  We think that evil is passive in the world and while we should avoid it, it does not seek us out.

Jesus makes it clear that the struggle is on-going and that the children of God are at risk, not just of sinning of their own accord, but of being seduced by the Evil One and falling into eternal fire.  The warning is apt.  The evil of the world has trapped so many right-intentioned people.  We see the devil portrayed in scripture as a fallen angel.  If, therefore, we consider how an angel might appear to us, we must also consider that should the fallen one present himself to us, how are we to know that it is not one of God’s messengers who persuades us to take a course of action?

In the desert, when Christ was tempted by the same Evil One, the devil we recall even quoted scripture to the Lord to try to seduce him away from his salvific mission.  He offered food to a hungry man and water to one who thirsted.  He offered all the kingdoms of the earth; essentially the fulfillment of Christ’s mission to Jesus who came to save all people for the Heavenly Father.  All this he offered if our Lord would but bow to him, the fallen angel.  How tempting that must have been to the Lord as he looked past his trial in the desert and saw at the end of his earthly mission the cross of his passion standing starkly at Golgotha.

The Lord’s warning to the disciples and hence to us is indeed apt.  We, who strive to keep Christ’s mission of love visible in the world, are challenged constantly not by some benign evil that sits like a pit for us to avoid; but by a malignant evil, active and insatiable that seeks to ambush us, choke us as weeds, as we attempt to do God’s will.  Our attitude must be one of constant vigilance and prayer.  It is only by keeping this vigil and remaining in a state of constant discernment that we can see evil for what it is and avoid the terrible harvest at the end of time. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Pax

---

[1] ALTRE

[2] The picture is a woodcut “Parable of the weeds” by Johann Christoph Weigel  Published in1695

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Memorial of Saint Martha

“Christ in the House of Martha and Mary”
by Johannes Vermeer, 1654-55

Readings for Memorial of Saint Martha[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34

Moses turned and came down the mountain

with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,

tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;

tablets that were made by God,

having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.

Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting,

he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.”

But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory,

nor does it sound like cries of defeat;

the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”

As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing.

With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down

and broke them on the base of the mountain.

Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire

and then ground it down to powder,

which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.

Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you

that you should lead them into so grave a sin?”

Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry.

You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.

They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader;

as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt,

we do not know what has happened to him.’

So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’

They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

On the next day Moses said to the people,

“You have committed a grave sin.

I will go up to the LORD, then;

perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.”

So Moses went back to the LORD and said,

“Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin

in making a god of gold for themselves!

If you would only forgive their sin!

If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.”

The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me

will I strike out of my book.

Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you.

My angel will go before you.

When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ex 32:15-24, 30-34

In this passage from Exodus, Moses has gone up Mt. Sinai and has been absent for some time.  In their ignorance, the people are afraid that they have no leadership in the wilderness and ask Aaron to make for them an image of God (most scholars agree that the Calf was intended to be an image of God rather than a false God.  Graven images of God were forbidden.). Moses smashing the tablets upon which the Law had been engraved by the hand of God was a symbol that the covenant between the people and God had been broken through their sinful actions.

Moses actions in destroying the idol and then having it ground to powder, put in water and drunk by the people creates and ordeal by which the innocent would be spared and the guilty would be punished (see also Numbers 5:11-28). Note also the weak argument Aaron provides.  In Exodus 32:4 he fashions the idol from gold – here he states he simply melted down the gold and the calf miraculously appeared.

God’s response to Moses intercession is that those who committed the sin would be punished on the Day of Judgment. He offers his own life as an atonement saying “If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” This statement presupposes God has a list of names, a book of life (see also Psalm 69:29) from which a name may be struck and that person shall die.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

R. (1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Our fathers made a calf in Horeb

and adored a molten image;

They exchanged their glory

for the image of a grass-eating bullock.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

They forgot the God who had saved them,

who had done great deeds in Egypt,

Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,

terrible things at the Red Sea.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Then he spoke of exterminating them,

 but Moses, his chosen one,

Withstood him in the breach

to turn back his destructive wrath.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

Psalm 106 is a national lament remembering the events from Exodus 32:7-14 (above), where the Jews brought out of Egypt by Moses fell into idol worship, even as he received the Law on Mt. Horeb. The psalmist reminds the people that Moses interceded and turned away God’s wrath.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOSPEL

First Option

John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary

to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,

she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus,

"Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died.

But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,

God will give you." Jesus said to her,

"Your brother will rise."

Martha said to him,

"I know he will rise,

in the resurrection on the last day."

Jesus told her,

"I am the resurrection and the life;

whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,

and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?"

She said to him, "Yes, Lord.

I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,

the one who is coming into the world."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Jn 11:19-27

Within the story or the death and resurrection of Lazarus we see the very human emotions of Jesus they range from confidence in his relationship with the Father at the end of the story to the all too human grief and fear as he expresses his concern at what this revelatory event has cost his close friends, Martha and Mary, as they see their brother die. The encounter describes Martha’s fear and remorse change to faith as she makes her profession of faith (“I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”) This exchange of fear for faith seen in the witnesses is the same conversion the Gospel attempts to initiate in the Christian faithful in response to these events.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OR

Second Option

Luke 10:38-42

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.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

“Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me.”

The Lord said to her in reply,

“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.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary on Lk 10:38-42

In this encounter with Martha and Mary in St. Luke’s Gospel we see two distinct messages. First, we see the importance of the role of women and Jesus’ attitude toward them. Second we see the importance of listening to the word of God "Mary has chosen the better part".

The selection emphasizes the importance of listening to the teachings of the Lord. While in some early texts the Lord tells Martha there is “need for only a few things” or of one, the message is clear, Mary, in assuming the role of disciple (listening at the master’s feet) has chosen the correct or better role. Martha, concerning herself with the requirements of hospitality (old law) has chosen the lesser.

“Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Moralia 2, 6): the two women signify two dimensions of the spiritual life. Martha signifies the active life as she busily labors to honor Christ through her work. Mary exemplifies the contemplative life as she sits attentively to listen and learn from Christ. While both activities are essential to Christian living, the latter is greater than the former. For in heaven the active life terminates, while the contemplative life reaches its perfection.”[4]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection:

St. Martha’s role in the life of Christ resonates with those who have chosen to take an active role in service to the Church. Whether that role is in the form of lay or ordained ministry, active participation means we have chosen to assist with the labor involved in ministering to God’s people. When we choose that role, we frequently (especially over time) take ownership of the tasks and when disruptive forces come along or when it seems we have taken on more than our share we assume the Martha persona we see in the Gospels.

To place it in the form of analogy, Martha’s sister Mary represents the congregation we serve. They sit at the Lord’s feet without all the turmoil and distraction of the tasks necessary to serve the guests in which Martha (representing those of us who serve) is involved. There are times when we long for that peaceful place at the Master’s feet; there are times when we would like to go to them and say “Would you mind helping? There is much work to do here.”

It is at these times when we must remember that other role that Martha had in the life of Christ. When Mary and the other mourners were sitting with their brother Lazarus who had died, it was Martha who met the Lord (SHE MET THE LORD!) and spoke with him. Not only that but after she chastised him (completely out of place to complain to the Lord, right – we would never do that), it was Martha who was honored to make the great profession of faith. What an exalted role she played in Christ’s life.

The life and ministry of St. Martha should be a constant reminder to all of us who work for Christ in our time on earth. There will be times when we too become tired and frustrated; when we pray for a little help in doing what we have set our hearts to do for God. Like St. Martha, we are very human and prone to these outbursts. Let us pray that when our work is done and we at last are face to face with the Lord, we too many be allowed to proclaim to the heavens and earth “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God the one who is coming into the world.”

Pax

---

[1] ALTRE 401/607

[2] The picture is “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by Johannes Vermeer, 1654-55

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 129