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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.” Luke 10:40–42
In many ways, this statement of our Lord summarizes the most
important and central message of the Gospel. We are all called to
choose “the better part” every day.
Jesus was close friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He
frequently visited their home, which was only a short distance from
Jerusalem. On this occasion, when Jesus was visiting their home,
one of these siblings, Mary, had placed herself at Jesus’ feet,
listening to Him and conversing with Him. Martha was busy with the
important details of hospitality and appeared to be upset with
Mary, so she confronted Jesus, asking Him to tell Mary to help her.
But in so doing, she was also unknowingly trying to dissuade Mary
from the most important purpose of her life.
As Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, she gave us an example of the
most important focus we must have in life. Though our days will be
filled with many necessary duties, such as cooking, cleaning,
working, entertainment, and caring for others, we must never forget
that which we were made for and that which we will be doing for all
eternity: adoration of our glorious God.
Consider all that occupies your day. Though most of what you do may
be important, do you daily take time out to adore our Lord, listen
to Him and glorify Him through your prayer? We can often make time
for many other important duties in life, as well as those that are
not so important. We may spend hours on chores, immerse ourselves
in movies, devote whole evenings to reading, fulfill our duties in
the workplace, but only devote a minute or two each day, if even
that, to silent prayer and adoration of our God!
What would happen to your life if you chose “the better part” for a
full hour every day? What if you decided that the first hour of
your day would be dedicated to an imitation of Mary in the Gospel
passage and that you would do nothing but adore Jesus through
silent prayer and meditation? At first, you may think of the many
other tasks you could be doing at that moment. You may decide that
you do not have the time for extended prayer every day. But is that
true? Perhaps you are actually being Martha to yourself, saying to
yourself that you should do more important things with your time
and that Jesus will understand if you do not spend time with Him
alone in adoration and prayer every day. If that is you, then be
very attentive to this Gospel passage. In many ways, Jesus deeply
desires to say this about you. He wants to say of you that you have
chosen the better part for an extended period of time every day and
that this will not be taken from you.
Reflect, today, upon that which is most important in life. Dispel
excuses and temptations to simply fulfill all the other important
duties of life, neglecting that which is most important. Reflect
upon the simple truth that Jesus does want you to devote much time
to Him every day for silent prayer and adoration. Do not give into
excuses and distractions. Commit yourself to remain at the feet of
Jesus, adoring Him, listening to Him and loving Him. If you do, you
will find that your life is more ordered and that the time you
spend in prayer bears more good fruit than every other important
duty you fulfill every day.
My inviting Lord, I do believe that adoration of You in silent
and devout prayer is the most important duty I have to fulfill
every day. May I never be deterred from adoring You every day,
devoting as much time as You desire to silent and loving prayer.
May I discover this gift of prayer, dear Lord, and sit at Your feet
with Mary and with all the glorious saints. Jesus, I trust in
You.
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Featured image above: Jesus in the house of Martha and
Mary By Erasmus Quellinus II and Adriaen van Utrecht, via
Wikimedia Commons
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