Sunday, October 08, 2006
Tuesday 27th Week in Ordinary Time
October 10, 2006
Tuesday 27th Week in Ordinary Time - Yr II
GALATIANS 1:13-24
Brothers and sisters: You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy
it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my
race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But
when he, who from my mother's womb had set me apart and called me
through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might
proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and
blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before
me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Then
after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and
remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the
Apostles, only James the brother of the Lord. (As to what I am writing
to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.) Then I went into the
regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown personally to the
churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only kept hearing that "the
one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once
tried to destroy." So they glorified God because of me.
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."
REFLECTION
People frequently interpret today's Gospel story as giving an insight
into Jesus' attitude toward two states of life, the contemplative and
the active. Martha they see as embodying the active type of person, and
Mary the contemplative. And, of course, Jesus tells Martha that her
sister, Mary, has chosen the better part. And so they conclude Jesus
therefore thinks the contemplative way of life is superior to the
active. But you can't establish it from today's Gospel story.
Jesus was not suggesting that Martha's activity-filled life was a less
worthy type of service or was morally or spiritually less acceptable
than Mary's contemplative way. Martha's service to Jesus was very much
in line with the activity of the Good Samaritan in yesterday's Gospel,
showing kindness to, being concerned about people ... and we saw how
Jesus praised the Samaritan.
It's not a matter of measuring Martha against Mary or activity against
contemplation. Both were needed in the early days of the Church, and
both are necessary today. And both should be part of the life of every
individual Christian.
On one occasion Jesus' lifestyle was so active that his family thought
he might be going out of his mind. On another occasion we see him so
weary that he was sleeping in a boat, undisturbed by a fierce storm
that had his companions, experienced fishermen, crying out in terror.
So weary, the storm did not wake him up. Luke also notes, however, that
Jesus was always going off to a quiet place to spent time listening to
his Father.
Why did Jesus chide Martha? Not, surely, because Martha was
activity-prone. You could say this about Jesus himself. Rather because
Martha criticized Mary, who took time to sit and listen to Jesus, to be
contemplative. Active people tend today to lose themselves in activity
as did Martha then. We need also to incorporate into our active lives a
bit of the contemplative.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- Birthday: Bernadette Ching Pamute
- for the speedy recovery and healing of Manuel Go.
- for the speedy recovery and healing of Domingo.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Frederick Ng Tiu
- Birthday: Ellery S. Lim
- Birthday: Cora Chiong
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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