16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Genesis 18:1-10 | Psalm 14:2-5 | Colossians 1:24-28 | Luke 10:38-42
I’ve heard the Gospel story of Jesus, Martha and Mary many times, and oft heard the modern parallel in the accompanying homily, about families who treat a parish house call like a Chinese New Year visit, pulling out all the entertainment stops to the detriment of the priest’s true purpose.
But I now realize that I’ve also seen Martha’s key action repeated many times over: “Please tell so-and-so that such-and-such. Yes, I know she’s standing right here.”
I’m sure we’ve all seen similar incidents, like:
- Siblings not on speaking terms at the dinner table over some imagined slight or inheritance fight.
- Co-workers giving each other the cold shoulder out of jealousy or fury at perceived favoritism.
- Lay ministers communicating with each other about their responsibilities on a church project…but only through the parish priest.
(I haven’t actually seen that last one myself, but a little bird who’s earned my trust whispered it in my ear once.)
In each case, a third party (often the boss or other authority figure) gets involuntarily drafted to play “telephone exchange”, to the annoyance of everyone involved.
To be sure, if Martha had instead gone to Mary and quietly asked for her help with the vittles, or perhaps even yelled it out from the kitchen, I think Jesus would still have reacted the way he did in today’s Gospel. The central message, that Jesus is the Living Bread come down from heaven, certainly can’t be ignored or pushed aside.
But perhaps we should also examine our interactions with others, or lack thereof. After all, it’s really hard to evangelize to people to whom we’re not willing to speak.
Lord, we ask for the courage and humility to communicate your Love to others instead of shunning them for selfish reasons, for your Love is Truth and Light for all mankind. Amen.