Fr Marco Lazzaron
oday’s Gospel is not intended to put in contrast action and contemplation, but to warn us against restless activism by recalling the importance of listening to the Lord and its priority above other things. Jesus passes through Bethany to visit some friends: three siblings, Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus. Jesus enters this house; he is welcomed lovingly, but in two different ways.
Martha has the nature of a hostess: she is completely absorbed in the duties of welcoming such an exceptional guest: she prepares an excellent meal, sets the table, moves back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, etc. Martha is very busy—in fact, she’s too busy with chores—and she enters “anxiety mode”, and at a certain point, seeing her sister sitting at the Lord’s feet, she bursts out “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her, then, to help me”. Martha could have asked her sister for help; instead, she’s accumulated irritation and anger, and has addressed Jesus directly. Martha’s problem is not the serving, but rather that activism that makes her restless, and, loses sight of the important guest. Probably, all of us as well, we do one thing and can’t wait to finish it, and perhaps we are already thinking about the next one; we act frenetically, losing the joy of being with others, of doing well what we are called to do.
Jesus’ affectionate rebuke to Martha is to her advantage. “Martha’s fault was simply to give in to anxiety and agitation. We too are tempted to become agitated about many things, but we must resist this temptation, which would easily destroy our serenity. With this orientation, the restless individual overcomes himself and finds the way to free himself from the oppression of anxiety” (Jean Galot). So Jesus points out to her: “You are worried and upset about many things”. Martha had allowed herself to be dominated by “many things”, but “only few are needed, indeed only one”.
Jesus, instead, praises Mary for being with Him and, sitting at His feet, listening to Him: “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her”. It’s not just a matter of a different temperament. Mary chose to be there with Jesus, to give priority to Him, to not let that opportunity slip away. “Mary seized this opportunity and did not want to miss anything that the circumstances offered her. She expected much from the conversation: she hoped to receive light for her life’s choices. The encounter with Jesus was an exceptional event, which had to be fully exploited. Thus, from the presence of a Master who was at her disposal, Mary intended to take and receive everything that could improve her life” (Jean Galot).
We too are called every day to choose the best part, taking care not to sacrifice the most important things for the more urgent but secondary ones. Jesus, valuing Mary’s choice, highlights the value of contemplation, which guides and prepares us to serve the kingdom of God. This does not mean contrasting contemplation with action, or saying that one is better than the other, but rather that one requires the other. It is contemplation that ignites the heart and guides it to the action.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me to sit at Your feet like Mary, to listen to your Word with a quiet heart, and to choose every day what is better for me and those around me. Help me not to be anxious or distracted, but to center my life on You. Give me the grace to know when to serve and when to be still. Grant me a heart capable of listening, to discern and act according to your holy will. Amen.