“The Better Part” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)

Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

When God saw by (the people of Nineveh’s) actions how they turned away from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.  (Jonah 3:10)

If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? (Psalm 130:3)

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed

Mary and Martha

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." (Luke 10:38-42)

Piety

Lord, winnow out the whiner and the worrier in me. Help me to trust in You.

Study

We “Marthas” don’t spend all our time in kitchens. And we’re not always women.

You’ll find us serving on the campaign trail, in boardrooms, in corner offices, in cubicles, in family rooms, in war rooms, in parish halls, and in community centers. Because you see, Marthas don’t always stay in the background, away from public attention. Some of us thrive on it.

Marthas get frustrated by people who we don’t believe are doing their fair share on the new-product launch, in the book club, in the sacristy, with the division of labor at home or at work. And so we complain—to God, to our colleagues, to our friends. It is significant that in today’s Gospel reading, Martha didn’t call Mary into the kitchen and say, “I’m feeling way overburdened. Can you please put together the appetizer tray or unload the dishwasher?” She didn’t give Mary a chance to say yes… or no, for that matter. Instead, Martha went to the guest to publicly shame her sister. That is what Marthas do. Direct conflict scares us.

The Lord has given us all many gifts. He desires that we use them for His glory. May we learn from these sisters that sometimes, doing that means dropping everything for Him. Sometimes, it means asking others for help and accepting that they can’t or won’t provide it. But it is never pleasing to Him when we judge the worth of others.

Action

Ask for help.

Image credit:  Vincent Adriaenssen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.