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| “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by Johannes Vermeer, 1654-55 |
Note: for this memorial the Gospel from the proper is used.
Reading 1: Jeremiah
26:1-9
In the
beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,
son of
Josiah, king of Judah ,
this
message came from the Lord:
Thus
says the Lord:
Stand
in the court of the house of the Lord
and
speak to the people of all the cities of Judah
who
come to worship in the house of the Lord;
whatever
I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.
Perhaps
they will listen and turn back,
each
from his evil way,
so that
I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them
for
their evil deeds.
Say to
them: Thus says the Lord:
If you
disobey me,
not
living according to the law I placed before you
and not
listening to the words of my servants the prophets,
whom I
send you constantly though you do not obey them,
I will
treat this house like Shiloh ,
and
make this the city to which all the nations of the earth
shall
refer when cursing another.
Now the
priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard
Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord.
When
Jeremiah finished speaking
all
that the Lord bade him speak to all the people,
the
priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,
“You
must be put to death!
Why do
you prophesy in the name of the Lord:
‘This
house shall be like Shiloh ,’ and
‘This
city shall be desolate and deserted’?”
And all
the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
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Commentary on Jer
26:1-9
The
opening comment in this selection sets the date of this incident at about 609
BC. Most scholars agree the narrative is from a third party (probably Baruch).
The prophet causes a scandal in the Temple by calling on those who consider
themselves devout to repent, and return to following the Law of Moses.
According to Jeremiah, if they do not, the Lord’s anger will be unleashed
against them and Judah will be decimated.
The
specific mention of Shiloh is significant in that Shiloh was once a high place,
central to the worship of Yahweh (see Joshua 18:1 and Judges 18:31)[4], but was
destroyed, a reminder that God will not spare even places where he is worshiped
if the people turn away from his desired path. As a result of this vitriolic
discourse, Jeremiah is accused of blasphemy and seized by the leadership of the
temple.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
69:5, 8-10, 14
R. (14c) Lord, in your great
love, answer me.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
R.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon
me.
R.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I pray to you, O Lord,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R.
Lord, in your great love, answer me.
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Commentary on Ps
69:5, 8-10, 14
Psalm
69 is a lament in which the psalmist sings of being unjustly accused of crimes,
and forced to make restitution. “The psalm, which depicts the suffering of the
innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in
the passion accounts, e.g., Psalm 69:5 in John 15:25.”[5]
CCC: Ps
69:10 584
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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."
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Commentary on Jn 11:19-27
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."
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Commentary on Jn 11:19-27
Within the story of 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 how 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.
CCC: Jn 11 994; Jn
11:24 993, 1001; Jn
11:25 994; Jn
11:27 439
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OR
Second Option
Luke 10:38-42
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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.”
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Commentary on Luke 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.”[6]
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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 this tendency 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 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]
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]
McKenzie, John L., Dictionary of the Bible, Macmillan Publishing, 1965,
pp. 807
[5]
See NAB footnote on Psalm 69
[6]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp.
129
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