Today
the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Martha. The Gospels tell us that Martha had a sister
named Mary. One of the Gospel options
today for proclamation in the liturgy is the story of Jesus entering a village
and being greeted by Martha. She is
waiting on Jesus by serving Him in manual labor – and is not too happy about it
because her sister Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus hanging on to His every
word. The initial gut reaction of any
human being would be to suggest that Mary is lazy; but Jesus said that what
Mary is doing is partem elegit – the
best part.
Martha’s
part may not be the best part, but nevertheless is a necessary part. In the Rule of Saint Benedict are three words
which are a banner for monasticism, but really is a basic, healthy formula for
life in general. The words are ora et labora – prayer and work. It’s no accident that prayer is listed first,
as it is the best part; and without it, as so many have learned, makes work all
the more difficult and less fulfilling because without prayer Jesus is not the Center
of one’s work.
Saint
Augustine, in today’s Office of Readings, describes Martha as one “who had to
be fed with the Spirit” and thus “received Him Who had to be fed with
flesh.” That is to say, Jesus had flesh
which could get hungry and would need to be fed; and because of this, Martha’s
role here is necessary; but virtually all labors can produce complaints if one
is not fed with the Spirit.
There’s
a much larger story here as Saint Augustine continues to teach us that Jesus
was welcomed by Martha and “received as a guest” and to those who receive Him, He
gives them the power to “become children of God.”
As if
Martha were standing in front of Saint Augustine, he says directly to her, but
has us as witnesses that we may also ponder in our labors: “While blessed in
your good service, you are seeking a recompense for your labors, namely quietem – rest . . . You feed mortal bodies . . . but when you
have reached home will you find there a pilgrim to welcome?”
No,
there will be no pilgrim to welcome; but He in Whom we have welcomed in this
life represented by those we have offered service, will welcome us. Jesus said: “Beati, servi illi” – “Blessed are those servants” (Luke
12:37). For Jesus lovingly states that
He will sit us down and He will serve us (cf.
ibid.). Often mystery has us on the
edge, but there is great comfort in this mysterious promise from our Lord.
