On another occasion, Jesus and His disciples stopped at the home of these friends in Bethany before arriving in Jerusalem. The two sisters set about preparing everything necessary to offer hospitality to the Master and the group accompanying Him. But Mary, perhaps shortly after Jesus arrived, sat at His feet and listened to His word,¹⁶ while Martha was left alone with the housework. Mary showed no concern for how much still remained to be done and gave herself entirely over to listening to the Master. “The familiarity with which she settles at His feet, her habit of listening to Him, her hunger to hear His words, show that this is not a first meeting, but that true intimacy exists.”¹⁷ Martha is certainly not indifferent to Jesus’ words; she too pays attention, but she is more occupied with domestic tasks. Without realizing it, Jesus has faded into the background: she is absorbed by the very preparations meant to serve Him well. And she grows anxious feeling alone, perhaps with more work than she can handle. Meanwhile, she beholds her sister at Jesus’ feet. Perhaps somewhat restless, and with great confidence, she stood before Jesus—Saint Luke specifies—and said to Him: *Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.*¹⁸ What great confidence she has with the Master!: Tell her to help me… Jesus responds to her in the same familiar tone, as the very repetition of her name seems to indicate: Martha, Martha, He tells her, *you are anxious and worried about many things. Indeed, only one thing is necessary.*¹⁹
Mary, who surely should have been helping her sister, had nevertheless not forgotten what is essential, what is truly necessary: having Christ as the center of her attention and her life. The Lord does not praise her entire attitude, but what matters most: her love.
Not even the things that pertain to the Lord should make us forget the Lord of things.
Martha would never forget this gentle rebuke from Jesus. Despite how indispensable her work was, even greater was the care she needed to take not to leave Jesus in the background.
Not even in tasks that directly pertain to the Lord should we forget that what is paramount, what is necessary, is His Person. In our ordinary life, we must also keep in mind that matters which seem paramount, such as work, should not be put ahead of the family itself; other helps—financial improvements, social relations…—would be of little use if family life itself were to deteriorate by being pushed into the background, except in exceptional cases that might require, for instance, the head of the family to work in a place distant from where the rest of the family resides (emigrants, sailors…). If a father or a mother earns more money, but neglects spending time with their children, what good will it do?
Saint Martha, who forever enjoys the ineffable presence of Christ in Heaven, will obtain for us the grace to appreciate friendship with the Master more; she will teach us to diligently care for the things of the Lord without forgetting the Lord of things; she will intercede before Jesus so that we too learn not to postpone the family for those good achievements we wish to attain for the benefit of the family itself.
HCD