SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
There are two types of hospitality: the
hospitality of giving and the hospitality
of presence. Both are important. Both are
necessary. Martha in today’s Gospel is busy
preparing a meal to welcome Jesus to her
home. She is doing a beautiful deed. She
represents the hospitality of giving. Mary,
her sister, sits quietly and attentively at the
feet of the Lord, listening to His words. She
represents the hospitality of presence. Jesus
commended Mary and assured her that she
had ‘chosen the better part’. In so doing,
He was not condemning Martha, but rather
lauding the value of listening and silence in
our everyday lives. Everything that’s created
comes out of silence. God speaks most
powerfully in the silence, but our world no
longer hears Him because it is constantly
speaking. He gets lost in the noise. The
challenge then for all of us is to create ’Mary
moments’ in a ‘Martha world’. Creating
moments of ‘non-doing’ each day is essential
nourishment for the soul. Mary chose the
better part.
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