Pastor’s Letter: July 21, 2019

Pastor’s Letter: July 21, 2019

19 Jul 2019 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” These words from Jesus to Martha of Bethany apply to all of us at one time or another. People get anxious and worried. The story is a fascinating one because it involves justice. In the first century world, when the men would gather in a home to discuss theology, typically the women would prepare something to eat. Martha was doing exactly what was expected of her in the culture. Who knows, she may have really enjoyed cooking for people as well. None the less, there was a societal expectation that Mary should also be there helping Martha cook instead of listening to Jesus. On the other side, this first century culture didn’t allow the women to join the men inside the synagogue for prayer. The women had a place to themselves. I’m sure there were many reasons this existed but its reality is the concern here. Mary, instead of cooking, took on the role of the disciple sitting at the feet of Jesus, the Master, listening to Him speak. While the circumstance that Jesus allowed cut down some of the social barriers of the time, the real point of the Lord was where Martha was placing her attention. Was Martha upset that Mary was not helping, and felt an injustice? Did Martha think Mary was being lazy? Was Martha upset that Mary was hanging with all the men while she was stuck doing the “female work”? What ever the exact truth was, the words of Jesus ring true, “you are anxious and worried about many things.”

Worry and anxiety is a part of human life, but the Bible and the Mass make it clear that God wants to free us from unnecessary anxiety or worry. The key is identifying those thoughts that lead us away from the “one thing” to which Jesus refers. In this story, Jesus is the Master, and everyone else are disciples. The proper posture of the disciple is learning at the feet of the Master. Jesus didn’t denounce cooking or claim they all wouldn’t eventually need to eat, but that Martha’s thoughts caused her to miss a true understanding of what was happening. Martha saw her need to get food ready, she was aware that a task needed to be performed. Instead of fulfilling her task joyfully, or pausing to participate in the lesson, she complained of an injustice. Martha missed the opportunity at that moment to see the “one thing” necessary: attention to God. Whether that attention to God led her to the feet of Jesus or to a joyful preparation of food for others to enjoy, she was worried and anxious because she had improper reason. We are all called to reason truth.  We are called to reason or think toward the presence of God in our midst. We are called to put God first and serve whatever leads us closer to God. The cooking wasn’t right or wrong, it was Martha’s perception of the situation that was the problem. No matter the situation we find ourselves in life, we should look for the path to God through our attentiveness to the good. The good is that which leads us to peace and joy despite the challenges and needs of the world. No matter our job, vocation, family situation, or societal concern we can all find peace by focusing our attention on the “one thing” that truly matters. May our path to God lead us to be people of love, generosity, kindness, fellowship, and authentic concern for the good of others, no matter what we find them doing. Have a great week.

God bless,

Father David