Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 462
Reading 1
Galatians 1:13-24
Brothers and sisters:
You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it,
and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were Apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas
and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
(As to what I am writing to you, behold,
before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea
that are in Christ;
they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us
is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So they glorified God because of me.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15
R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Alleluia
Luke 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Fidelity to Daily Prayer
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.” Luke 10:40–42
In many ways, this statement of our Lord summarizes the most important and central message of the Gospel. We are all called to choose “the better part” every day.
Jesus was close friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He frequently visited their home, which was only a short distance from Jerusalem. On this occasion, when Jesus was visiting their home, one of these siblings, Mary, had placed herself at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him and conversing with Him. Martha was busy with the important details of hospitality and appeared to be upset with Mary, so she confronted Jesus, asking Him to tell Mary to help her. But in so doing, she was also unknowingly trying to dissuade Mary from the most important purpose of her life.
As Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, she gave us an example of the most important focus we must have in life. Though our days will be filled with many necessary duties, such as cooking, cleaning, working, entertainment, and caring for others, we must never forget that which we were made for and that which we will be doing for all eternity: adoration of our glorious God.
Consider all that occupies your day. Though most of what you do may be important, do you daily take time out to adore our Lord, listen to Him and glorify Him through your prayer? We can often make time for many other important duties in life, as well as those that are not so important. We may spend hours on chores, immerse ourselves in movies, devote whole evenings to reading, fulfill our duties in the workplace, but only devote a minute or two each day, if even that, to silent prayer and adoration of our God!
What would happen to your life if you chose “the better part” for a full hour every day? What if you decided that the first hour of your day would be dedicated to an imitation of Mary in the Gospel passage and that you would do nothing but adore Jesus through silent prayer and meditation? At first, you may think of the many other tasks you could be doing at that moment. You may decide that you do not have the time for extended prayer every day. But is that true? Perhaps you are actually being Martha to yourself, saying to yourself that you should do more important things with your time and that Jesus will understand if you do not spend time with Him alone in adoration and prayer every day. If that is you, then be very attentive to this Gospel passage. In many ways, Jesus deeply desires to say this about you. He wants to say of you that you have chosen the better part for an extended period of time every day and that this will not be taken from you.
Reflect, today, upon that which is most important in life. Dispel excuses and temptations to simply fulfill all the other important duties of life, neglecting that which is most important. Reflect upon the simple truth that Jesus does want you to devote much time to Him every day for silent prayer and adoration. Do not give into excuses and distractions. Commit yourself to remain at the feet of Jesus, adoring Him, listening to Him and loving Him. If you do, you will find that your life is more ordered and that the time you spend in prayer bears more good fruit than every other important duty you fulfill every day.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
HEARING AID
“Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it.” —Luke 10:42
Right now, you are reading this booklet, One Bread, One Body, which focuses on listening to the Lord as He speaks through the Church’s daily Eucharistic Scripture readings. Thank God for you! You are like St. Mary of Bethany. She chose to put aside all else to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words (Lk 10:39). With the psalmist, you have said: “I will hear what God proclaims” (Ps 85:9).
Jesus has very good news for you: nothing can separate you from His love (Rm 8:39), and nothing can separate you from listening to Him. If you set aside prime time to choose to listen to Jesus above all else, then you won’t ever be deprived of hearing what He says (Lk 10:42). You’ll hear Him in prayer, and you’ll hear Him when you’re traveling, working, shopping, changing diapers, cooking, etc. You’ll even hear the Lord amid the chaos of loud crowds and confrontations (see Acts 7:56).
Jesus is the Master Communicator. He’ll always find a way to get His message across to you if you want to hear what He’s saying. All He needs is your attention. Choose “the better portion” and listen faithfully to Him (Lk 10:42). He’ll do the rest.
Prayer: Jesus, divine Word sent by the Father, thank You forever for letting me hear Your words. I commit my entire life to You. May I hear every word You speak (Jn 8:47; 18:37).
Promise: “The time came when He Who had set me apart before I was born and called me by His favor chose to reveal His Son to me.” —Gal 1:15-16
Praise: St. Luke’s parish held a Life in the Spirit Seminar. One of the immediate fruits was deep repentance, as evidenced by the dramatic lengthening of the Confession lines.
Reflection 3
Fr. Josep RIBOT i Margarit
(Tarragona, Spain)
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing”
Today, as every day, we can learn from the Gospel. Jesus, invited to Martha's home in Bethany, gives us a lesson in humanity: He, who loved people, lets people love Him, for both things are equally important. It would be a serious mistake, with harmful consequences to our sanctity, to refuse God's and others' affection.
Martha or Mary? But..., why oppose those who loved each other so much and loved God too? Jesus loved Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus, and He loves each one of us, too.
On the path of sainthood not any two souls are exactly alike. We all try to love God, but within our own style and personality, without imitating anyone. Our models are Christ and the Mother of God. Do you resent how others treat God? Try to learn from his personal piety.
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). To serve others, for the love of God, is an honor, not a burden. Do we serve with joy, as the Mother of God did in her visit to her cousin Elisabeth, or at Cana's wedding, or as Jesus did when washing the Apostle's feet at the Last Supper?
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing” (Lk 10:41-42). Let us lose neither our peace nor our good humor. And to accomplish it, let us take good care to see and appreciate God's presence. “Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it… Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him” (St. Josemaría Escrivá).
“Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk 10:42). God wants us happy. May our Mother in Heaven help us to feel the joy of giving.
Prayers
My inviting Lord, I do believe that adoration of You in silent and devout prayer is the most important duty I have to fulfill every day. May I never be deterred from adoring You every day, devoting as much time as You desire to silent and loving prayer. May I discover this gift of prayer, dear Lord, and sit at Your feet with Mary and with all the glorious saints. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, to be in your presence is life and joy for me. Free me from needless concerns and preoccupations that I may give you my undivided love and attention.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 281: The Immovable Will of God
At times, when we love God with a profound love, we may find that we have strong impulsions to do great things for God. And yet, despite our desire and firm resolve, it can seem as if God is not permitting our work to move forward. This may be because the Lord is not ready to act. Though it’s good to have a strong desire to do great things for God, we must always remember that our desires must align with the perfect timing and wisdom of the Will of God. He knows best and He will allow the work He inspires to come to fruition when He wills it, not before. Surrendering your impulsions to God is a way of letting God purify the work He calls you to do so that it is ultimately His work in us and not our own work done in accord with our own idea of what is good. God’s Will is immovable and all the longings and desire in the world will not move Him to act contrary to His perfect plan set forth at the perfect time. Humble yourself before God so that He will bless the world with His Mercy through You in the way He desires (See Diary #1389).
Do you have a heart filled with the desire to serve our Lord? Hopefully you do. Reflect upon these desires and know that they please our Lord. But also reflect upon the fact that, if they are to come to perfection, even the most pure desire must be submitted to the Will of God. Make that prayerful resolution today and God will use your heartfelt desire to manifest His Heart of Mercy to the world.
Lord, I do desire to serve You with all my heart. Please increase that desire and purify it so that my will dissolves into Yours. Help me to let go of even my “good” ideas as I submit to Your wisdom and love. I do love You, dear Lord, and desire to be used by You in accord with Your perfect Will. Jesus, I trust in You.
No comments:
Post a Comment