Illustration by PrayerGraphics.com
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried
about many things."
Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus’s visit to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, His friends from Bethany. Martha has been left to do all the work, while Mary sits by the feet of Jesus, listening to Him speak. Martha complains, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” This complaint often makes Martha seem the less faithful and prayerful of the two sisters. Yet, we know that Martha has great faith. Later, she will acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Jn 11:27). And surely the work she is doing is important: serving the Lord and providing for the hungry guests. Someone must do this work.
But in the midst of her busy-ness, Martha has forgotten to pray – to quiet her heart and mind and listen to the Word of God. This is what Jesus refers to as “the better part” that Mary has chosen. Martha has forgotten she can trust Jesus with all her concerns. If she will first tend to the great work of prayer, the work will be easier, the burden lighter.
This story is a good reminder for us as we hurry through our days, sometimes complaining that we are overworked and underappreciated. It is a reminder of the importance of devoting time to prayer, and inviting the Lord into our lives and work. Taking time throughout each day to enter into God’s presence will lighten all our burdens.
St. Edith Stein wrote about the value of taking refuge in prayer throughout the day, and the peace it brings to our souls:
“God is there in these moments of rest and can give us in a single instant exactly what we need. Then the rest of the day can take its course, under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace. And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him — really rest — and start the next day as a new life.”
St. Edith Stein - Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
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