Enjoying God's love
Gospel Reflection
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“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.”
Today, we celebrate the life of St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, Carmelite mystic widely known because of her ecstasies, which also resulted in her mystical works, as her utterances were recorded by her companions and has become a gift to the church.
So who is Mary Magdalene of Pazzi?
Jesus entered a villagewhere a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“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.”
So who is Mary Magdalene of Pazzi?
Although many envied her for the gift that was given to her, but in all honesty, she discouraged this, how? She tells her sisters that these ecstasies are actually for the weak, which, come to think of it, echoes the thoughts of St. John of the Cross who discouraged the brothers to seek supernatural events, because this just shows our need for the tangible in order to strengthen our faith. And this begs the question, how strong is our faith in God, in Christ, in the Good News?
Our Gospel reading today really talks of our saint, Mary Magdalene. The siblings are one of Jesus's closest friends, as we would hear of their intimacy in other passages of the Gospels, but this time we hear how they welcomed Jesus into their home. But Martha was too busy trying to meet the needs of Jesus and the visitors. She could not do it on her own. Her sister, Mary, was at the foot of Jesus, listening, enjoying the Good News, the instructions of Jesus on how to be sons and daughters of God. So imagine how she must have felt.
It is really maddening when, you know, everyone is so busy and there are those who are busybodies, or worse, they would just be like sitting around, only to come out to pretend to help when you are done. They would then come down or go out of their rooms with brooms and all those props, then they would say, "ay tapos na pala." Nakakainis, but here, well, Mary seems to act like one of the visitors, you know. Martha was being a good host, and Mary seems to have not taken the seminar on how to be a good host, she was just there, sitting with the boys. And that is also very peculiar, because in Jewish tradition, men and women don't mix in the public sphere. Women serve, which is what Martha was doing, while the men talk and wait to be served. You know they discuss important things, which women has no reason or even the right to join in. Well, it shows Jesus' attitude towards women, He welcomes them. And worse, when Martha tried to make Mary help, Jesus told him, "There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part."
Sometimes this passage is used to justify contemplation vs. action, but really, its not about two different kind of life, rather, the passage is clear: There is need of only one thing and Mary has chosen the better part.
"But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you (Matthew 6:33)."
That is what Mary Magdalene has done. In everything she does, it is all about Him, all about Jesus, and such intimacy bore fruit in her life, she understood what really mattered and that is the love of God for her.
Her message is love, love, love.
Today, as we remember our dear sister, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, let us also remember that Jesus has kept us in his heart, and the only thing that we have to do is to listen to his heart until our own hearts would be so filled with the purest love of God that we could not stop it from flowing over to others - in our communities, in the people that we serve, and in just about anyone we encounter.
Let this be our prayer. Amen.
Our Gospel reading today really talks of our saint, Mary Magdalene. The siblings are one of Jesus's closest friends, as we would hear of their intimacy in other passages of the Gospels, but this time we hear how they welcomed Jesus into their home. But Martha was too busy trying to meet the needs of Jesus and the visitors. She could not do it on her own. Her sister, Mary, was at the foot of Jesus, listening, enjoying the Good News, the instructions of Jesus on how to be sons and daughters of God. So imagine how she must have felt.
It is really maddening when, you know, everyone is so busy and there are those who are busybodies, or worse, they would just be like sitting around, only to come out to pretend to help when you are done. They would then come down or go out of their rooms with brooms and all those props, then they would say, "ay tapos na pala." Nakakainis, but here, well, Mary seems to act like one of the visitors, you know. Martha was being a good host, and Mary seems to have not taken the seminar on how to be a good host, she was just there, sitting with the boys. And that is also very peculiar, because in Jewish tradition, men and women don't mix in the public sphere. Women serve, which is what Martha was doing, while the men talk and wait to be served. You know they discuss important things, which women has no reason or even the right to join in. Well, it shows Jesus' attitude towards women, He welcomes them. And worse, when Martha tried to make Mary help, Jesus told him, "There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part."
Sometimes this passage is used to justify contemplation vs. action, but really, its not about two different kind of life, rather, the passage is clear: There is need of only one thing and Mary has chosen the better part.
"But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you (Matthew 6:33)."
That is what Mary Magdalene has done. In everything she does, it is all about Him, all about Jesus, and such intimacy bore fruit in her life, she understood what really mattered and that is the love of God for her.
Her message is love, love, love.
Today, as we remember our dear sister, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, let us also remember that Jesus has kept us in his heart, and the only thing that we have to do is to listen to his heart until our own hearts would be so filled with the purest love of God that we could not stop it from flowing over to others - in our communities, in the people that we serve, and in just about anyone we encounter.
Let this be our prayer. Amen.
Art: Alessandro Rosi
Comments
Post a Comment