Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 17, 2016 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[Gen 18:1-10a; Col 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42]SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42] "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] As I get "older" (I am 73) I become more and more aware of the frenetic pace of life around me. Things get to the point where it seems, like the character in Alice in Wonderland, I have to run twice as hard to stay in the same place. The contrast between Mary and Martha in the wonderful scene from the Gospel of Luke in today's gospel scripture has a way of putting all of this in perspective. A bit of history won't hurt. As Christianity grew and forms of religious life began to develop, a debate arose over the question of which form of religious life, "contemplative" or "active," or "mixed" was superior. The debate is still around and even within a "contemplative" community one will find "Mary's" and "Martha's." St. Thomas Aquinas [OP] argued that the "mixed" form was best, and came up with a line that has become one of the mottoes of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans): Contemplata aliis tradere (To share the fruits of contemplation with others). But the simple fact is that the Gospel of Luke was not thinking of a debate between religious orders that came centuries later. it does point to a "contemplative" dimension in discipleship. Just consider the line in Luke 2:51 where Mary (not the one today) "kept all these things in her heart." Even in spiritual life there can be a form of "activism" where we multiply "prayers" and other religious actions to the point where we can get spiritually "out of breath." We are so busy talking to God or rushing about in apostolic duties that God can't get a word in! As one great Dominican once put it, "We can become so busy doing the work of the Lord that we forget the Lord of the work!" It is this trap that I think today's gospel scripture can help us to avoid. In giving retreats to priests and deacons and sisters, I often hear complaints about just this kind of dilemma. It gets even harder for ordinary folks who are not in full time ministry. With jobs and kids and other activities, where is there room for "contemplation?" It seems like an unaffordable luxury. Yet, I think with a small effort, there can be great rewards. It does require an initial look at one's daily schedule and a regular "pause" to catch one's spiritual breath, so to speak. Maybe a couple can agree to allow each other a weekend off once a year for a "retreat." The Martha in us will always protest loudly, but I think we can allow ourselves a bit of "Mary" and choose a "better part" once in awhile that cannot be taken away from us. AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
77 ms
4
