RBWords

     The wonderful scene of the bustling extroverted Martha and the introverted sedate Mary has been, at times, the focus of debate about the superiority of different forms of religious life (active v. contemplative v. mixed).  It immediately follows the parable of the Good Samaritan which seems to some to suggest that the active apostolic forms of life are the preferred ones of the gospel.  Others would suggest that the scene is a corrective to all that activity.  

     My own suggestion is that Mary and Martha go together, even if the relationship, like all domestic relationships, will have its tense moments over emphasis.  Mary assumes the position of a disciple, sitting at the feet of the Lord and listening to him.  Martha assumes the position of a disciple doing acts of service.  Throughout the gospel, Jesus states that a disciple is someone who HEARS his words and ACTS on them.  WHAT a disciple does is no more important than WHY a disciple does it.  Non-believers can be just as helpful as believers.  The WHY has to come from listening, but there comes a point when what is HEARD must become what is DONE.  The latter is testimony to the former.

     The rather frenetic pace of American cultural life tends to militate against a contemplative and attentive stance.  We are like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.  The Disney version of him has him saying, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date.  No time to say 'Hello' 'Goodbye!' I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"  I see this in the lives of many university students but I know it is true of the world that awaits them after graduation.  I suspect the popularity of "adoration chapels" at parishes around the country has as much to do with the need for peace and quiet as it does with traditional devotion!!!  If the world of Martha and the world of Mary are two circles that occasionally overlap in the lives of ordinary folks, perhaps the task (and it can be difficult) is to increase the overlap until the difference is negligible.  We can thank the evangelist Luke for reminding us of the importance of that effort.  AMEN