Martha and Maria: What is your Priority?

The Sunday Gospel tells of the sisters Martha and Mary. The former complains about the latter because she does not help her. Jesus finally intervenes and asks the question: what is a necessary action in life?

Perhaps you’re familiar with this game: 10 people are sitting in a dinghy with their luggage, trying to get from a sinking ship to safety. But the load in the boat is too heavy. Everyone is only allowed to keep one thing; the rest must be thrown overboard. What would you keep: a book, an iPhone, a laptop, a Bible, or something else?

What would you want to keep and not give up: family, job, recognition, friends, money, church, faith, your own creativity, health, or…? This question can also be considered when it comes to a congregation or the entire church: money, buildings, the Bible, Jesus, activities, relationships within the groups, etc.

Thank God, we usually don’t need to ask ourselves this question. Most of the time, we can have everything, or very many things, side by side. Everyone acts in their daily life according to a list of priorities that they think are important.

Again, Jesus isn’t saying that our actions are unimportant, but he makes it clear:
If our actions don’t draw their strength from the source of God, if they occur without inner peace and good direction and without a solid foundation, then our actions are pure activism; then we are like drowning people who sink even faster by flailing our hands in panic; then in the end, nothing will remain of our actions, and we ourselves will perish. That’s why Jesus says: “Only one thing is necessary. Mary made the right choice. She chose a good that no one can take away from her.” She allows God to do something, giving Jesus space in her life to work.

With this statement from Jesus, we now come to two questions that each of us must answer for ourselves:
Do I believe Jesus? Do I believe him that, for my challenges, my problems, my family, my future, etc., his work in me is more important than my actions. Or do I not believe him? Do I believe him that I find in him the source, centre, and support for my life, or not? Is he telling the truth or is he lying?

If I believe him, what impact does that have on my life, on how much time I give Jesus so that he can work in my life?

When it comes to time, people get nervous. They often say, “Do you know how much I have to do? I don’t have time for that.” Do we say the same thing when it comes to eating or breathing? How much more should it apply when it comes to spiritual nourishment? That’s why God gave us Sunday as a day of rest. Others think, “Now I have to do even more, one more duty. I can’t do it.” But it’s not about doing more, it’s about letting God do something.

When I was a young pastor, an experienced pastor told me: the more you have to do, the more you need to pray. I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I know he was right.

And I’ve learned that I can then approach my work with more calm and strength and ultimately accomplish more.

Consider for a moment what role does God’s desire to work in and through you play in your time management, and how important do you consider that?

Have a great weekend
Fr Joe