Memory of the Church

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Memorial of Martha. She welcomed the Lord Jesus into her home.


Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Luke 10,38-42

In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with all the serving, came to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered, 'Martha, Martha,' he said, 'you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Today the Church remembers Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. By remembering her we understand the power of the Gospel, which changes Martha's heart and life. Martha is the woman who is hospitable and she certainly performs a very beautiful gesture in welcoming those who proclaim God's message. She is setting the table for them. This "hospitality service," worries her quite a bit. The evangelist notes it in order to introduce a decisive teaching for those who want to follow Jesus. Martha has also a sister, Mary who is described as opposite to her. Martha is so busy that she almost forgets Jesus; Mary instead is described at Jesus' feet listening to his words. The words that the evangelist uses are those proper to describe the attitude of the disciple in front of Jesus. Therefore it is a paradigmatic scene: Mary is the disciple because she listens to the Lord. The evangelist shows Martha's behaviour opposite to Mary's. Listening to Jesus is the first qualification of the disciple. Martha is so concentrated on her work that it keeps her from listening to Jesus. Irritated by Mary's attitude, she turns to Jesus and rebukes him because he did not care about her. It is the vindictive attitude of those who do not think what they do is appreciated. We could say that Martha fell into the temptation of feeling at the centre and she is envious of Mary who is at Jesus' feet. Martha probably thinks it is wrong to do nothing for the guest. In reality she has not understood yet who Jesus is. Whenever we focus on ourselves, we flee from listening to the Lord. The best part is the part that no one can take away: the bond with Jesus. Mary sat in front of the Teacher and listened to his words. Martha learned the lesson Jesus had taught her, continued to welcome Jesus into her house, and opened her heart to him. When Jesus came to visit the tomb of Lazarus, who had died, she was the first to notice the Teacher and ran to him. She had learned to run towards the Teacher who knew how to love her, her sister, and Lazarus like no one else. Today, the Gospel asks us too to not let ourselves be wrapped up in our cares, but to go outside our house and run towards the Teacher who can save us from death.