Mary listened to him speak

Gospel of the Day (Luke 10:38-42)

As they continued their journey he 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."

***

Reflections:

"Mary listened to him speak"

Mary first had to become a Martha before she could become a real Mary. Because so long as she remained at our Lord's feet she was not yet so: in name she was, but not as yet in its spiritual actuality.

Some people stretch things so far that they would like to free themselves from all work. But I say this is useless! It wasn't until they had received the Holy Spirit that the disciples began to believe anything concretely. Mary too, so long as she was sitting at our Lord's feet, was still learning; she had only just begun to learn; she was learning how to live. But afterwards, when Christ had ascended into heaven and she had received the Holy Spirit, only then did she begin to serve. She crossed the sea, preached and taught and became a fellow worker with the apostles.

From the first moment of God's becoming man, both man and God, Christ also began to work for our blessedness even to the end when he died on the cross. There was not a member of his body that did not take part in this great work.