Fr. Jude Botelho:
Today's first reading from Genesis describes God's homely visit to the house of Abraham and the warm welcome and generous hospitality God receives from Abraham. God appears in the garbs of three strangers who are passing by in front of Abraham's tent as he relaxes at mid-day. He does not recognize the divine visitors immediately but he goes out of his way to welcome them into his home and to offer them the best meal he can offer to make them comfortable.
The strangers come with a special blessing from God for Abraham and his wife Sarah. After enjoying their hospitality, the strangers announce the promise of God that Sarah will bear a son. The story reveals how God deals familiarly and personally with his friends and is interested in their personal well-being. We need to be open to God's coming and promises.In Greek mythology the story is told of how God Jupiter once visited the earth with his son Mercury. They disguised themselves as weary travelers and knocked on many doors in their search for shelter. Time after time they were ignored and left in the street. Eventually they came to a small cottage which was the home of an old couple Philemon and Baucis. When the two travelers knocked on the door, it was soon opened and they were welcomed inside. The old man filled a bowl with hot water so that the guests could wash; the old woman put on her apron and started to prepare a meal. While all this was happening the conversation flowed easily but no identities were revealed. When all was ready, the hot stew was placed on the table with a pitcher of wine. But as the wine was drunk it renewed itself in the pitcher, and the old couple were struck with terror when they realized they were entertaining gods. They implored forgiveness for their poor hospitality but the gods invited them to make a wish. As they discussed it in between them the old couple expressed their shared prayer: "Since we have passed our life together in love and concord we wish to die at the same time so neither of us has to live in grief." Their prayer was answered and when they grew very old they both died in peace. - We are all visited by God and invited to welcome Him and his word and give it our full attention. The way we continue having God as our guest, is when we welcome his word and attend to it. In a way, we are the Lord's host and guest.
Denis McBride in 'Seasons of the Word'
In today's gospel Jesus speaks of keeping the greatest of the commandments -the only commandment to be observed, the commandment of love. He combines the teaching of the law from Deuteronomy and Leviticus: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and love your neighbour as yourself.' The disciples were ready to accept the first part of the commandment, that of loving God with full commitment, but who is the neighbour whom they were called to love? Is the neighbour literally the one next door? Is the neighbour a person of my ethnic group? Is my neighbour one from my religious sect or group? Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that neither religion, nor nationality can set limits to one's responsibility to come to the aid of our fellow human being. The duty to help a needy human being cannot be coloured by personal feelings or inclinations. The Samaritan showed by his actions that he recognized his neighbour even in the hated Jew. The lawyer who came to Jesus asked: Who is my neighbour? Jesus could have answered with a definition or short answer but he was more concerned about responding to the person behind the question. After telling the parable Jesus asked the lawyer, 'Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour?' The changed question shifted the emphasis from defining the restrictions of neighbourly love to exploring the demands of love. We therefore dare not ask, 'Who is my neighbour?' but rather, 'How can I be a good neighbour?' The love of God cannot be separated from the love of our neighbour. There is only one commandment and there can be only one love, the love of God seen in the way we deal with any and every human being. God is love and the only way to come to him is in love. The time for this love is now. And the place for its expression is today's reality as it meets me on the road and stares me in the face.
We do not live on bread alone
I remember some years ago when I used to visit home, I just wanted to spend a little time sitting and talking and my mother was always trying to serve something to eat, even if I had just had supper. Frustrating! Now she is in a nursing home and when I visit, she is not trying to feed me. We both just enjoy the visit. On the other hand, I have heard from so many wives how their husbands never have time to sit down and talk. They're always busy doing something or else half asleep in front of the TV. They complain "I feel like I'm all alone." In too many families today, the family members are too busy to listen to one another, to talk to one another, to feed one another emotionally. We do not live on bread alone! In today's gospel Jesus says; "Mary has chosen the better part." Perhaps he was saying to Martha, "This is a golden opportunity; here is the Son of God coming to visit you and you're worried about chopping up the parsley!" or perhaps he was saying "you're trying to put out an eight course meal, Martha, and we would be happy with just a sandwich," or perhaps he was saying "maybe we ought to think of feeding the spirit before feeding our faces;" or perhaps he was saying "maybe we need to spend a little time enjoying each other's company before we get all uptight about dinner."Joe Robinson in 'Guiding Light'
Focus on what is more important
There was a man who wanted to prove his love for his wife. So he climbed the highest mountain and swam the deepest sea. When he returned, his wife was gone because he was never at home! There is another story about a father who after work would take a long walk with his teenage daughter. He took great pleasure in her company. Suddenly she began to offer almost daily excuses as to why she could not accompany him. He was hurt but he held his tongue. Finally his birthday arrived. His daughter presented him a sweater she had knitted. Then he realized that she had done her knitting when he was out of the house for his walk. He said to her, "Martha, Martha, I do appreciate this sweater. But I value your company infinitely more. A sweater I can buy in any store. But you I cannot buy. Please never abandon me again." -People need company, a listener. In our daily life, it is important to focus on the right thing. Sometime we forget what is important and we focus on the wrong thing. This is what the gospel reading teaches us today.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
"Jesus drops by to visit his friends Mary and Martha. Martha fussed about getting a meal for Jesus while Mary sits listening to him. Mary complains about the unfairness of the situation but Jesus seems to take the part of Mary and says, "Martha. Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her." This story is not a condemnation of activity and an extolling of contemplation. The story comes immediately after the Parable of the Good Samaritan which has the clear message that you cannot be a loving person if you do not get up and do something for others. The story makes the point that if our activity is to be wise and fruitful there must also be times of stillness, of prayer, of being in touch with our own inner worlds and being open to intimacy - to hear the inner worlds of others. Christian meditation is just being still in the presence of the Lord. It is a being still with truth, the creation of a space where our inner selves can speak. It is a way of accepting our whole being in such a way that our inner spiritual and emotional lives will be integrated with the activities in which we engage. It is a prayer that will make us recognize the subtle ways in which we all become imprisoned and lead us out of these prisons into more wholesome relationships with ourselves, others and ultimately with God."
Gerry Pierse
What a waste of time!
The wedding of Tessie and John was one of the great social events of the early 1980's. The social columns in the newspapers wrote up how lovely they looked and how blessed they both were with foreign degrees in management. As addition to their competence they also had enough family influence to land them in managerial positions within a few years. Now, fourteen years later they have four beautiful children living in a beautiful house, cared for by the best maids, attended to by the best physicians when they get sick, enrolled in the best schools. They themselves leave the house early in the morning in their separate cars. They are successful but at a price. They are slaves of the culture in which they live and of the expectations that their roles impose on them. They often have to socialize with the right people even if they would much prefer to be at home. Seldom do they have time to really be with one another - to be without a schedule or an agenda. The children have become projects to be managed rather than human beings with which to waste time. Already the school has been reporting rebellious attention gaining behavior in their eldest child. How could this be when they had got the best of everything from their parents? Maybe they got presents instead of presence! -The story of Tessie and John might be a modern parable on the issue that Jesus tackles in today's Gospel story.
Gerry Pierse in 'Sundays into Silence'
Today's first reading from Genesis describes God's homely visit to the house of Abraham and the warm welcome and hospitality God receives from Abraham. God appears in the garb of three strangers who are passing by Abraham's tent. He does not recognize the divine visitors immediately but he goes out of his way to welcome them and make them comfortable. After enjoying the hospitality, the strangers reveal the blessing and promise of God that Sarah will bear a son. The story reveals how God deals familiarly with his friends. We need to be open to God's coming and God's promises that come to us in strange unforeseen ways.
The Promise Keeper
Martin Luther King Jr. shortly after assuming his role as community leader and activist started receiving phone calls threatening his life and family. One night a caller ordered him to leave town in three days or risk having his home firebombed. Unable to sleep, King went into the kitchen hoping to find some relief in a warm cup of coffee. He sat at his kitchen table wrestling with his present crisis and came face-to-face with the fact that he could lose his newborn daughter or wife at any moment. Looking within himself, King prayed, "Lord I'm down here trying to do what's right. I think I'm right. I think the cause we represent is right. But I'm weak now. I'm faltering and I'm losing my courage." At that moment King heard a voice saying, "Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth and 'Lo, I will be with you even till the end of the world."' From then on, King was sustained by God's promise to be with him.
Prince Rainy Rivers in 'Text this week'
Today's gospel story speaks of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary and the welcome he received in this home. The two sisters of Lazarus display different temperaments and attitudes towards Jesus. While one is concerned with doing things for Jesus the other is more at home being with Jesus. In this reading Jesus refers to something more spiritual rather than being busy and worrying about material necessities, the need of giving undivided attention to the Lord. Jesus' approval of Mary's eagerness to listen to his word shows us that his followers should not be so preoccupied with doing things as to forget the need of prayerful reflection and recollection. Mary quite clearly represents the ideal disciple who sits at the Lord's feet and listens to his teachings. Martha is reprimanded not for her service but for her being 'anxious' and 'troubled'. Service to mankind which is not the fruit of contemplation becomes merely humanitarianism, while contemplation which does not lead to service is incomplete. Prayer has to lead to action and action has to colour and motivate us to pray more. All Christian prayer has to be a contemplative response.
What a waste of time!
The wedding of Tessie and John was one of the great social events of the early 1980's. The newspapers wrote how lovely they looked and how blessed they both were with foreign degrees in management. As addition to their competence they also had enough family influence to land them in managerial positions. Now, fourteen years later they have four beautiful children living in a beautiful house, enrolled in the best schools. They themselves leave the house early in the morning in their separate cars. They are successful but at a price. They are slaves of the culture in which they live. Seldom do they have time to really be with one another. The children have become projects to be managed rather than human beings with which to waste time. Already the school has been reporting rebellious attention gaining behaviour in their eldest child. Maybe they got presents instead of presence! -The story of Tessie and John might be a modern parable on the issue that Jesus tackles in today's Gospel story.
Fr. Gerry Pierse in 'Sundays into Silence'
Making Choices
The American Psychotherapist and writer, Thomas Moore, said: "There is no doubt that some people would spare themselves the expense and trouble of psycho-therapy simply by giving themselves a few minutes each day for quiet reflection. This simple act would provide what is missing in their lives - a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for the soul." Like Martha, we are very active in our daily lives, dutifully attending to a number of chores that need to be done. But like Mary, we need to give ourselves a break -space and time for quiet reflection, as we do each time we participate in the Eucharist. This is both necessary and important to provide what is essential for every human being - a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for our souls.
J. Valladares in 'Your Words O Lord Are Spirit, and They Are Life'
My mode of life
Little Joey declared, "Mummy, I want a baby brother." His mother replied, "But you just got one." Joey continued, "But I want another." Mummy explained that it took time to produce a baby, whereupon Joey suggested, "Why don't you do what daddy does?" "What's that?" asked Mummy puzzled. "Put more men on the job." Like Joey, Martha wants one more woman, Mary, in the kitchen. But Jesus answered: "Martha, Martha, you worry about so many things, yet few are needed, indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part; it will not be taken from her." Remember the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? In his greed to gain profit swiftly, the owner slaughtered the goose to draw out all the eggs at one shot. Alas, too many of us are in a mad rush to do, to reform and transform the world. This can be called the 'Martha mode of life'- active, efficient, seeking quick returns. On the other hand, there is the ‘Mary mode of life' -contemplative, effective, seeking just to be, 'To be with' -What's my mode of life?
Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds'
I need you!
There was this father, who after work would take this long walk with his teenage daughter. He took great pleasure in her company. Suddenly, she began to offer almost daily excuses as to why she could not accompany him. He was hurt but he held his tongue. Finally his birthday arrived. His daughter presented him with a sweater she had knitted. Then he realized that she had done her knitting when he was out of the house for his walk. He said to her, "Martha, Martha, I do appreciate the sweater. But I value your company infinitely more. A sweater I can buy in any store. But you I cannot buy. Please never abandon me again." People need company, a listener. Most of us can identify with Martha; we all have a Martha syndrome. We are all doers. Matter of fact this story is about doers and listeners.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
Discipleship takes many forms
There was once a man who was trying to read the evening newspaper after he had come home from a rough day at the office. As he attempted to read the paper, he was constantly being interrupted by his children. One child came and asked for money for an ice cream cone, and his father gently reached into his pocket and gave him the necessary coin. Another child arrived in tears. Her leg was hurting and she wanted her daddy to kiss the hurt away. An older son came with an Algebra problem, and they eventually arrived at the right answer. Finally, the last and the youngest of them burst into the room looking for good old dad. The father said cynically, "What do you want?" The little youngster said. "Oh Daddy, I don't want anything. I just want to sit in your lap." -Is being present to others another form of service or ministry?
Gerard Fuller in 'Stories for all seasons'
****
More Illustrations:
2. Hospitality:
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3. Unkindness
6. Don't Forget the Best
9. Being Present
And loving Mary's heart.
Today's first reading from Genesis describes God's homely visit to the house of Abraham and the warm welcome and generous hospitality God receives from Abraham. God appears in the garbs of three strangers who are passing by in front of Abraham's tent as he relaxes at mid-day. He does not recognize the divine visitors immediately but he goes out of his way to welcome them into his home and to offer them the best meal he can offer to make them comfortable.
The strangers come with a special blessing from God for Abraham and his wife Sarah. After enjoying their hospitality, the strangers announce the promise of God that Sarah will bear a son. The story reveals how God deals familiarly and personally with his friends and is interested in their personal well-being. We need to be open to God's coming and promises.In Greek mythology the story is told of how God Jupiter once visited the earth with his son Mercury. They disguised themselves as weary travelers and knocked on many doors in their search for shelter. Time after time they were ignored and left in the street. Eventually they came to a small cottage which was the home of an old couple Philemon and Baucis. When the two travelers knocked on the door, it was soon opened and they were welcomed inside. The old man filled a bowl with hot water so that the guests could wash; the old woman put on her apron and started to prepare a meal. While all this was happening the conversation flowed easily but no identities were revealed. When all was ready, the hot stew was placed on the table with a pitcher of wine. But as the wine was drunk it renewed itself in the pitcher, and the old couple were struck with terror when they realized they were entertaining gods. They implored forgiveness for their poor hospitality but the gods invited them to make a wish. As they discussed it in between them the old couple expressed their shared prayer: "Since we have passed our life together in love and concord we wish to die at the same time so neither of us has to live in grief." Their prayer was answered and when they grew very old they both died in peace. - We are all visited by God and invited to welcome Him and his word and give it our full attention. The way we continue having God as our guest, is when we welcome his word and attend to it. In a way, we are the Lord's host and guest.
Denis McBride in 'Seasons of the Word'
In today's gospel Jesus speaks of keeping the greatest of the commandments -the only commandment to be observed, the commandment of love. He combines the teaching of the law from Deuteronomy and Leviticus: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and love your neighbour as yourself.' The disciples were ready to accept the first part of the commandment, that of loving God with full commitment, but who is the neighbour whom they were called to love? Is the neighbour literally the one next door? Is the neighbour a person of my ethnic group? Is my neighbour one from my religious sect or group? Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that neither religion, nor nationality can set limits to one's responsibility to come to the aid of our fellow human being. The duty to help a needy human being cannot be coloured by personal feelings or inclinations. The Samaritan showed by his actions that he recognized his neighbour even in the hated Jew. The lawyer who came to Jesus asked: Who is my neighbour? Jesus could have answered with a definition or short answer but he was more concerned about responding to the person behind the question. After telling the parable Jesus asked the lawyer, 'Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour?' The changed question shifted the emphasis from defining the restrictions of neighbourly love to exploring the demands of love. We therefore dare not ask, 'Who is my neighbour?' but rather, 'How can I be a good neighbour?' The love of God cannot be separated from the love of our neighbour. There is only one commandment and there can be only one love, the love of God seen in the way we deal with any and every human being. God is love and the only way to come to him is in love. The time for this love is now. And the place for its expression is today's reality as it meets me on the road and stares me in the face.
We do not live on bread alone
I remember some years ago when I used to visit home, I just wanted to spend a little time sitting and talking and my mother was always trying to serve something to eat, even if I had just had supper. Frustrating! Now she is in a nursing home and when I visit, she is not trying to feed me. We both just enjoy the visit. On the other hand, I have heard from so many wives how their husbands never have time to sit down and talk. They're always busy doing something or else half asleep in front of the TV. They complain "I feel like I'm all alone." In too many families today, the family members are too busy to listen to one another, to talk to one another, to feed one another emotionally. We do not live on bread alone! In today's gospel Jesus says; "Mary has chosen the better part." Perhaps he was saying to Martha, "This is a golden opportunity; here is the Son of God coming to visit you and you're worried about chopping up the parsley!" or perhaps he was saying "you're trying to put out an eight course meal, Martha, and we would be happy with just a sandwich," or perhaps he was saying "maybe we ought to think of feeding the spirit before feeding our faces;" or perhaps he was saying "maybe we need to spend a little time enjoying each other's company before we get all uptight about dinner."Joe Robinson in 'Guiding Light'
Focus on what is more important
There was a man who wanted to prove his love for his wife. So he climbed the highest mountain and swam the deepest sea. When he returned, his wife was gone because he was never at home! There is another story about a father who after work would take a long walk with his teenage daughter. He took great pleasure in her company. Suddenly she began to offer almost daily excuses as to why she could not accompany him. He was hurt but he held his tongue. Finally his birthday arrived. His daughter presented him a sweater she had knitted. Then he realized that she had done her knitting when he was out of the house for his walk. He said to her, "Martha, Martha, I do appreciate this sweater. But I value your company infinitely more. A sweater I can buy in any store. But you I cannot buy. Please never abandon me again." -People need company, a listener. In our daily life, it is important to focus on the right thing. Sometime we forget what is important and we focus on the wrong thing. This is what the gospel reading teaches us today.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
"Jesus drops by to visit his friends Mary and Martha. Martha fussed about getting a meal for Jesus while Mary sits listening to him. Mary complains about the unfairness of the situation but Jesus seems to take the part of Mary and says, "Martha. Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her." This story is not a condemnation of activity and an extolling of contemplation. The story comes immediately after the Parable of the Good Samaritan which has the clear message that you cannot be a loving person if you do not get up and do something for others. The story makes the point that if our activity is to be wise and fruitful there must also be times of stillness, of prayer, of being in touch with our own inner worlds and being open to intimacy - to hear the inner worlds of others. Christian meditation is just being still in the presence of the Lord. It is a being still with truth, the creation of a space where our inner selves can speak. It is a way of accepting our whole being in such a way that our inner spiritual and emotional lives will be integrated with the activities in which we engage. It is a prayer that will make us recognize the subtle ways in which we all become imprisoned and lead us out of these prisons into more wholesome relationships with ourselves, others and ultimately with God."
Gerry Pierse
What a waste of time!
The wedding of Tessie and John was one of the great social events of the early 1980's. The social columns in the newspapers wrote up how lovely they looked and how blessed they both were with foreign degrees in management. As addition to their competence they also had enough family influence to land them in managerial positions within a few years. Now, fourteen years later they have four beautiful children living in a beautiful house, cared for by the best maids, attended to by the best physicians when they get sick, enrolled in the best schools. They themselves leave the house early in the morning in their separate cars. They are successful but at a price. They are slaves of the culture in which they live and of the expectations that their roles impose on them. They often have to socialize with the right people even if they would much prefer to be at home. Seldom do they have time to really be with one another - to be without a schedule or an agenda. The children have become projects to be managed rather than human beings with which to waste time. Already the school has been reporting rebellious attention gaining behavior in their eldest child. How could this be when they had got the best of everything from their parents? Maybe they got presents instead of presence! -The story of Tessie and John might be a modern parable on the issue that Jesus tackles in today's Gospel story.
Gerry Pierse in 'Sundays into Silence'
Today's first reading from Genesis describes God's homely visit to the house of Abraham and the warm welcome and hospitality God receives from Abraham. God appears in the garb of three strangers who are passing by Abraham's tent. He does not recognize the divine visitors immediately but he goes out of his way to welcome them and make them comfortable. After enjoying the hospitality, the strangers reveal the blessing and promise of God that Sarah will bear a son. The story reveals how God deals familiarly with his friends. We need to be open to God's coming and God's promises that come to us in strange unforeseen ways.
The Promise Keeper
Martin Luther King Jr. shortly after assuming his role as community leader and activist started receiving phone calls threatening his life and family. One night a caller ordered him to leave town in three days or risk having his home firebombed. Unable to sleep, King went into the kitchen hoping to find some relief in a warm cup of coffee. He sat at his kitchen table wrestling with his present crisis and came face-to-face with the fact that he could lose his newborn daughter or wife at any moment. Looking within himself, King prayed, "Lord I'm down here trying to do what's right. I think I'm right. I think the cause we represent is right. But I'm weak now. I'm faltering and I'm losing my courage." At that moment King heard a voice saying, "Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth and 'Lo, I will be with you even till the end of the world."' From then on, King was sustained by God's promise to be with him.
Prince Rainy Rivers in 'Text this week'
Today's gospel story speaks of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary and the welcome he received in this home. The two sisters of Lazarus display different temperaments and attitudes towards Jesus. While one is concerned with doing things for Jesus the other is more at home being with Jesus. In this reading Jesus refers to something more spiritual rather than being busy and worrying about material necessities, the need of giving undivided attention to the Lord. Jesus' approval of Mary's eagerness to listen to his word shows us that his followers should not be so preoccupied with doing things as to forget the need of prayerful reflection and recollection. Mary quite clearly represents the ideal disciple who sits at the Lord's feet and listens to his teachings. Martha is reprimanded not for her service but for her being 'anxious' and 'troubled'. Service to mankind which is not the fruit of contemplation becomes merely humanitarianism, while contemplation which does not lead to service is incomplete. Prayer has to lead to action and action has to colour and motivate us to pray more. All Christian prayer has to be a contemplative response.
What a waste of time!
The wedding of Tessie and John was one of the great social events of the early 1980's. The newspapers wrote how lovely they looked and how blessed they both were with foreign degrees in management. As addition to their competence they also had enough family influence to land them in managerial positions. Now, fourteen years later they have four beautiful children living in a beautiful house, enrolled in the best schools. They themselves leave the house early in the morning in their separate cars. They are successful but at a price. They are slaves of the culture in which they live. Seldom do they have time to really be with one another. The children have become projects to be managed rather than human beings with which to waste time. Already the school has been reporting rebellious attention gaining behaviour in their eldest child. Maybe they got presents instead of presence! -The story of Tessie and John might be a modern parable on the issue that Jesus tackles in today's Gospel story.
Fr. Gerry Pierse in 'Sundays into Silence'
Making Choices
The American Psychotherapist and writer, Thomas Moore, said: "There is no doubt that some people would spare themselves the expense and trouble of psycho-therapy simply by giving themselves a few minutes each day for quiet reflection. This simple act would provide what is missing in their lives - a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for the soul." Like Martha, we are very active in our daily lives, dutifully attending to a number of chores that need to be done. But like Mary, we need to give ourselves a break -space and time for quiet reflection, as we do each time we participate in the Eucharist. This is both necessary and important to provide what is essential for every human being - a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for our souls.
J. Valladares in 'Your Words O Lord Are Spirit, and They Are Life'
My mode of life
Little Joey declared, "Mummy, I want a baby brother." His mother replied, "But you just got one." Joey continued, "But I want another." Mummy explained that it took time to produce a baby, whereupon Joey suggested, "Why don't you do what daddy does?" "What's that?" asked Mummy puzzled. "Put more men on the job." Like Joey, Martha wants one more woman, Mary, in the kitchen. But Jesus answered: "Martha, Martha, you worry about so many things, yet few are needed, indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part; it will not be taken from her." Remember the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? In his greed to gain profit swiftly, the owner slaughtered the goose to draw out all the eggs at one shot. Alas, too many of us are in a mad rush to do, to reform and transform the world. This can be called the 'Martha mode of life'- active, efficient, seeking quick returns. On the other hand, there is the ‘Mary mode of life' -contemplative, effective, seeking just to be, 'To be with' -What's my mode of life?
Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds'
I need you!
There was this father, who after work would take this long walk with his teenage daughter. He took great pleasure in her company. Suddenly, she began to offer almost daily excuses as to why she could not accompany him. He was hurt but he held his tongue. Finally his birthday arrived. His daughter presented him with a sweater she had knitted. Then he realized that she had done her knitting when he was out of the house for his walk. He said to her, "Martha, Martha, I do appreciate the sweater. But I value your company infinitely more. A sweater I can buy in any store. But you I cannot buy. Please never abandon me again." People need company, a listener. Most of us can identify with Martha; we all have a Martha syndrome. We are all doers. Matter of fact this story is about doers and listeners.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
Discipleship takes many forms
There was once a man who was trying to read the evening newspaper after he had come home from a rough day at the office. As he attempted to read the paper, he was constantly being interrupted by his children. One child came and asked for money for an ice cream cone, and his father gently reached into his pocket and gave him the necessary coin. Another child arrived in tears. Her leg was hurting and she wanted her daddy to kiss the hurt away. An older son came with an Algebra problem, and they eventually arrived at the right answer. Finally, the last and the youngest of them burst into the room looking for good old dad. The father said cynically, "What do you want?" The little youngster said. "Oh Daddy, I don't want anything. I just want to sit in your lap." -Is being present to others another form of service or ministry?
Gerard Fuller in 'Stories for all seasons'
****
More Illustrations:
1. Mommy’s Dinner:
Once upon a time a mommy had such a wonderful time on her vacation that she decided that on the last weekend she would have a party for the neighbors at their summer place in gratitude for what good friends they had been. She hoped that she could do that every summer. Let’s have pizza her kids said –as kids always say. We can grill some hamburgers, her husband said, that’s easy (which is what he always said). No, said the mommy, we should have a really NICE dinner (which is what she always said).
The rest of the family groaned to themselves because they knew what that meant – a whole day of hard work for everyone during which the mommy would act like it wasn’t her idea but theirs and now they weren’t helping enough. The rest of the family thought that beef bourgeon was a little much for a summer dinner. There was no reason to clean up the house like it was just before Christmas. If they had to have Caesar salad, couldn’t you make it out of a bag. Was it really necessary to bake potatoes? Wouldn’t potato salad be just as good? Couldn’t you buy the apple pies at the bakery instead of making a half dozen of them? And what was wrong with package pie crust?
Well, the party was a feast which everyone enjoyed. They would have enjoyed it a lot more, however, if the mommy wasn’t so worn out that she didn’t have any fun. (Andrew Greeley)
Hospitality is the way we come out of ourselves. It is the first step toward dismantling the barriers of the world. Hospitality is the way we turn a prejudiced world around, one heart at a time.” (Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister)
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-Working for God & doing God’s work (Thomas Green, sj)
-Don’t fit God into your schedule, but fit yourself into God’s plans for you.-------------------
Jesus did not intend to belittle Martha and her activity, but rather to show that hearing the word of God is the foundation of all action, that the word of God must permeate all other concerns. The highest priority must be given to listening to the word. Prayer and actions must be continuous, complementary and mutually dependent. Prayer without action is sterile, and action without prayer is empty. We are expected to be "contemplative in action" because only those who listen carefully to the Word of God know how to behave in the way that God wants, when they show deep concern for the well-being of other people. That is why Jesus reminds Martha that proper service for him is attention to his instruction, not an elaborate provision for his physical needs.
Without the “fuel” of prayer, silence and communion with God, service can become a crushing responsibility, a burden rather than a vocation, an annoyed grumbling, rather than a response to the invitation of God. It is a well-known fact that those who are in the caring professions like doctors, nurses, pastors, social workers and even parents often suffer from burnout and terminal exhaustion as Martha did.
Serve the Lord with Martha’s diligence: Some of mankind's greatest contributions have come from people who decided that no sacrifice was too large and no effort too great to accomplish what they set out to do. Edward Gibbon spent 26 years writing The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Noah Webster worked diligently for 36 years to bring into print the first edition of his Webster’s Dictionary. It is said that the Roman orator Cicero practiced before friends every day for 30 years in order to perfect his public speaking. Most of the famous scientists sacrificed their whole lives on their research for the betterment of human lives. Now let's think about how much energy we put into the Lord's work in an age when people are self-serving, self-centered, and self-indulgent. The comparison can be rather embarrassing.
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3. We need listening Marthas and serving Marys:
Martha has become a symbol of action-oriented, responsible people who get the job done. Our world needs such men and women and boys and girls who get the job done. This is certainly true in the church. How would the Church survive if not for the Marthas and Bills who sing in the choir, run the altar guild, work with the homeless, work with the youth, and build the Church? The Church could not exist without the Marthas and Bills, the women and men who are responsible and do the work. The same is true with the family. We need responsible people to do the work in the house: to cook, to clean, to keep the house operating, to pay the bills, to keep the cars running, not to speak of rearing the children and loving the spouse. Households can’t survive without Marthas and Bills. Nor can offices, schools or businesses. There is nothing wrong with being a responsible, action-oriented, get-it-done kind of person. But we must find time to listen to God speaking to us through His word and time to talk to God. Jesus clearly said: be hearers and doers of the word. Jesus never reversed that order.
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4. The Archbishop of Canterbury with Mental Hospital Inmates
Some years ago, The Archbishop of Canterbury was rushing to catch a train in London. In his haste, he accidentally jumped on the wrong passenger car and found himself on a car full of inmates from a mental hospital. They were all dressed in mental hospital clothing.
Just as the train pulled out of the station, an orderly came in and began to count the inmates, "1-2-3-4..." when suddenly he saw this distinguished looking gentleman there wearing a business suit and a clerical collar and he said:
"Who are you?" The answer came back: "I am the Archbishop of Canterbury!" And the orderly said: "5-6-7-8."
The point of that story is this: It is so important to know who we are and who other people are. If we know what makes us tick and what makes other people tick, we get along better. If we understand where we are coming from and where other people are coming from, we relate better. There is more compassion, more empathy and more kindness. When Jesus looked at Martha that day in that emotional scene, he saw some red flags, some warning signals, some danger signs, some destructive attitudes within her which were more harmful to Martha herself than to anyone else. Jesus loved Martha. They were good friends and that day, he saw in her some hurtful attitudes that were working in her like spiritual poisons, petty attitudes, which can devastate and destroy the soul.
Let's look at these dangerous attitudes which were in Martha. We may find ourselves or someone we know somewhere between the lines. When Jesus looked at Martha that day, he saw deep down inside of her the dangerous attitude.
1. Resentment
2. Narrowness3. Unkindness
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5. A Gazelle and a Cheetah
On 10 July 2013 someone posted a YouTube video. Three days later it had 5 million hits.
The one minute clip shows an amazing life-or-death race. It was shot by some Krueger Park tourists on safari in South Africa. Routinely and sternly, visitors to the park are told to stay in their vehicles at all times. But tourists being tourists, you know the rest of the story. The video shows cars parked along the access road with all their windows and doors wide open, and people hanging out every which way in order to get a better view.
In this case what everyone was gawking at was a herd of gazelles being chased down by two amazingly speedy cheetahs. Suddenly the whole chase changed course and headed into the roadway. Predator and prey came racing through the line-up of parked cars, then disappeared into the trees on the other side of the road. Moments later one gazelle doubled back - again, running towards the road - with the cheetah pair in hot pursuit.
Feeling the hot breath of death on its heels, the terrified gazelle made an incredible choice. It hurled itself INTO a Toyota minivan whose side door had been slid open. The confused cheetahs ran on past, looking around for the prey that had been so close only moments before. As the disappointed cheetahs ran off, the owners of the "get-away car" opened the other sliding door and the gazelle did an "exit-stage-left" back out into the wilderness.
And we think we live with stress!
"Stress" is one of the greatest contributors to a host of diseases and debilitating maladies suffered by people living in our rapidly rotating world.
_____________________6. Don't Forget the Best
There is an ancient Scottish legend that tells the story of a shepherd boy tending a few straggling sheep on the side of a mountain. One day as he cared for his sheep he saw at his feet a beautiful flower -- one that was more beautiful than any he had ever seen in his life. He knelt down upon his knees and scooped the flower in his hands and held it close to his eyes, drinking in its beauty. As he held the flower close to his face, suddenly he heard a noise and looked up before him.
There he saw a great stone mountain opening up right before his eyes. And as the sun began to shine on the inside of the mountain, he saw the sprinkling of the beautiful gems and precious metals that it contained.
With the flower in his hands, he walked inside. Laying the flower down, he began to gather all the gold and silver and precious gems in his arms. Finally with all that his arms could carry, he turned and began to walk out of that great cavern, and suddenly a voice said to him, "Don't forget the best."
Thinking that perhaps he had overlooked some choice piece of treasure, he turned around again and picked up additional pieces of priceless treasure. And with his arms literally overflowing with wealth, he turned to walk back out of the great mountainous vault. And again the voice said, "Don't forget the best."
But by this time his arms were filled and he walked on outside, and all of a sudden, the precious metals and stones turned to dust. And he looked around in time to see the great stone mountain closing its doors again. A third time he heard the voice, and this time the voice said, "You forgot the best. For the beautiful flower is the key to the vault of the mountain."
In our Scripture passage we have someone who also forgot the best. Her name was Martha.
Adrian Dieleman, Hosts and Guests
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7. Will the Grass Ever Come Back?
Erma Bombeck, the author who wrote "If Life Is A Bowl Of Cherries, What Am I Doing Here In The Pits", tells of two moments in her husband's life:
There was a time when the children were growing up that her husband used to go and look at the back yard. Surveying the muddy patches where the lawn should be, he would wonder -- Will the grass ever come back?
And then there was the time when the children were grown and gone that her husband went and looked over the beautiful green lawn, immaculate from lack of use and wondered -- Will the children ever come back?
Some parts of life are temporary - some are eternal. Wisdom knows the difference. This is the fundamental issue at stake in the story of Mary and Martha.
Richard J. Fairchild, The Better Part
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8. Responding with Humor
By the way, don't you think Luke also included this incident in his gospel account because he found it irresistible, or perhaps more accurately, because he found a touch of humor in it? There is humor here, isn't there? We smile at the story because we see ourselves in it, or we detect someone we know who is similar to Martha. Sometimes our priorities, or frustrations, are so far off the beam that they are laughable. And along with this was Martha's own lack of humor, which might have finally saved her. "The Lord's coming to my house? You mean he did accept my reckless invitation?" Martha might have asked. "Well, then, he's going to have to settle for potluck!" Such an attitude could have made Martha a relaxed, delightful hostess.
A friend of mine likes to tell stories about how his teenage children would call him at home on the telephone on Friday nights after the high school basketball games. It was usually about 10 o'clock and they wanted to know whether they could bring a few friends over for a little get together. When the parents asked how many friends were coming, they were usually told, "Oh, about seventeen." Instead of slamming down the phone, the guy said he always smiled at his wife, and the two of them hightailed it over to the supermarket to get enough supplies to feed and water down the two dozen teenagers who showed up. The slight ridiculousness of the situation and the parents' humorous response to it preserved a loving relationship between them and their children.
Richard W. Patt, All Stirred Up, CSS Publishing Company, Inc.
__________________________________9. Being Present
How many of us have been to a party where our host or hosts are so busy with all of the little details that the guests leave the party thinking, "That was a lovely party, but I wish I had more time to speak with our host!" I imagine this Martha from over 2,000 years ago to have something in common with a certain 'Martha' from our present. Fussing over the perfect table setting, the most delicious and perhaps elaborate meal, adjusting every little detail until it is just so...and only when everything is perfectly in place, turning to the guests to enjoy their company. There is a lot of joy to be taken in being a host and doing something gracious your guests, but it should never compromise the time we have to really enjoy our contact with them, especially when it starts to feel like 'work' as Martha clearly expresses.
I think that one of the things Jesus is praising in Mary's behavior in this text is her careful listening and just being present with her guest and her God. Jesus is telling us that there is great wisdom in letting the dishes soak in the sink so we can listen to and relax with others in fellowship.
Staff, www.esermons.com
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10. The Highest Priority
Have you ever been in a hurry and buttoned up a long overcoat with lots of buttons and when you were done, found out that the coat was uneven? What went wrong? I'll tell you what went wrong. When you don't get the first button in the right hole, all the rest are out of sequence too, right?! That's a parable about life. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount: "Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33) If the Lord is not the high priority in your life, then, like the overcoat, so many other things in life will be out of whack as well.
Arthur E. Dean Windhorn
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11. Faithful to my Lord's commands
I still would choose the better part;
Serve with careful Martha's handsAnd loving Mary's heart.
Charles Wesley
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12. ABC Priorities
A time management guru, a professor in the business school at Harvard, speaks about A, B, and C priorities, and then he notes that too many people spend too much of their time on the C priorities! And then he asks, "Why do you think that is?" The answer is that the C priorities are, first, much easier to accomplish, and, second, give you the impression that you are actually getting something done. In other words you can keep busy with the C priorities all day and never get to the more important things. The lesson from Mary and Martha is "Don't let the good (the C priorities) get in the way of the best (the A priorities). Sound like anyone you know?
David E. Leininger
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13. There Is Always a Load Limit
Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the NEW YORKER magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, "Load Limit 8 tons" was a truck, also marked on its side, "8 tons." When the 8 ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8 ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck into the river below, to the obvious surprise of the bluebird.
The bridge was built as indicated for 8 tons; the truck weighed exactly that. The bridge could hold up under its load limit, but not under 8 tons and one bluebird.
Of course, this story is wonderfully ridiculous. Most bridges could stand up under their load limit and several thousand bluebirds extra. But, to be sure, all bridges have a breaking point somewhere "that point at which the bluebird would be just much too much. But, friends, it really isn't the bluebird that breaks it down. It is the fact that 8 tons are already present.
We all have bluebird troubles, don't we? We are all burdened by the facts of our lives which load us to the point of "load limit." We let little things get the best of us, little bluebirds of nothingness, tiny bluebirds of no importance, but just the thing to bring us down. Every person has a limit and we would do well to watch for the warning signs of one bluebird too many. There is always a load limit.
Arthur E. Dean Windhorn, Sermons.com
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14. Worry
Worry has been defined as "a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained."
Unknown
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15. Humor: When Anxieties Finally Come True
For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. "Good evening," said the man of the house. "I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you."
William Marshall, Eternity Shut in a Span
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16. Inviting Us Out to Worship
There is a chapel somewhere in Wisconsin that has a stained glass window over the entrance, showing the figure of Jesus with open arms. Some, seeing it for the first time, remarked, "How meaningful! He seems to be inviting us in to worship."
"That's true," the pastor said. "He is indeed inviting us in to worship."
When the service was over and the same person was going out the door, he looked up at the window again. There was the figure of Jesus, with the same invitingly open arms. "Look!" he said. "Now he seems to be inviting us out."
"Right," the pastor replied.
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A psychologist ran every morning in a park near her home before going to her office. She often met a colleague there, a well-known psychiatrist. Without any formal arrangement, they had run together every morning for many years. But after she was diagnosed with cancer, somehow her running companion was never there. A strong and determined woman, she continued to run, despite a difficult course of surgery and chemotherapy. After a few months of running alone, she called the psychiatrist, but he never returned the call.
About a year after the completion of her treatment, she took a different path on her run one morning and saw the psychiatrist running up ahead. Being twenty years younger, she caught up with him easily. As they ran side by side, she told her one-time running companion that she was hurt by his not calling back. Everyone in their small professional community knew about her cancer. Surely he had heard.
The psychiatrist replied, “I’m sorry. I simply did not know what to say.”
What would she have wanted to hear?
“Oh, something like, ‘I heard it’s been a hard year. How are you doing?’ Some simple human thing like that.”
Too often, we hide behind our credentials, our expertise, our work, our designated role or function in order to avoid the awkwardness of simply being human. Like the psychiatrist in the story, we can be experts in the science of hurt but find ourselves too afraid to extend the simplest form of healing; like Martha in the Gospel, we bury ourselves in our work and agendas and calendars to avoid loving and being loved by our “guests.” Jesus invites each one of us to make a place in our lives for the “better part” — for welcoming the joy and love of family and friends that is the very presence of God.
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From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
3. Set your priorities:
There is a story about a man who was preparing his favorite breakfast of hot oatmeal when his daughter came rushing in with his little four-year-old grandson. "The babysitter has been delayed," she explained, "and I've got to go to work. Will you keep Bobby for a few hours?" Granddad said, "Sure," and his daughter left. Then Granddad scooped up two bowls of oatmeal. "Do you like sugar?" he asked. When Bobby nodded he asked, "How about some butter, too?" When his grandson nodded again he asked, "How about milk?" "Sure," the boy said. But when the grandfather placed the steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of Bobby, the boy made a face and pushed it away. "But when I asked you, you said you liked sugar, butter and milk," grandfather protested. "Yeah," Bobby answered, "but you didn't ask me if I like oatmeal." Granddad forgot to ask the most elemental question. Sometimes we forget to do that, too. We never set priorities. We never list in our own minds what those things are that matter most. We allow life to buffet us here and there and we never center in on those things that really matter.
*****
From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
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17. ‘A simple human thing’:
About a year after the completion of her treatment, she took a different path on her run one morning and saw the psychiatrist running up ahead. Being twenty years younger, she caught up with him easily. As they ran side by side, she told her one-time running companion that she was hurt by his not calling back. Everyone in their small professional community knew about her cancer. Surely he had heard.
The psychiatrist replied, “I’m sorry. I simply did not know what to say.”
What would she have wanted to hear?
“Oh, something like, ‘I heard it’s been a hard year. How are you doing?’ Some simple human thing like that.”
[From Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.]
Too often, we hide behind our credentials, our expertise, our work, our designated role or function in order to avoid the awkwardness of simply being human. Like the psychiatrist in the story, we can be experts in the science of hurt but find ourselves too afraid to extend the simplest form of healing; like Martha in the Gospel, we bury ourselves in our work and agendas and calendars to avoid loving and being loved by our “guests.” Jesus invites each one of us to make a place in our lives for the “better part” — for welcoming the joy and love of family and friends that is the very presence of God.
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From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
1. "I would like to be married to both of them":
Some single men in a Bible study group were discussing who would make the better wife--Martha or Mary. One fellow said, "Well, I think Martha would make the better wife. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It sounds like Martha surely knew how to cook. I would love to be married to a woman like that!" Another man said, "I think Mary would make the better wife. She was always so thoughtful, sweet and loving. I could be very happy, married to a woman like Mary!" Finally, another fellow settled the argument when he said, "Well, I would like to be married to both of them. I would like Martha before supper and Mary after supper." Today’s gospel challenges us to combine the listening spirit of Mary with the dynamic spirit of Martha in our Christian lives.
2. "She can sit all evening at the feet of a friend and not say anything.”
The headline on the cover of Sports Illustrated some time back read: "Sportswoman of the Year." One of the pictures on the cover showed Mary Decker pressing the tape as she defeated, by inches, the Soviet champion, Zamira Zaitseva, in the 1500-meter world championship race. The article went on to describe Decker's phenomenal performances in San Diego, Los Angeles, Gateshead (England), Stockholm, Paris, and Oslo. One comment was made about Mary Decker by the writer of the article that is relevant to our discussion today. He wrote, "She can sit all evening at the feet of a friend and not say anything, just smile and let the talk wash over her."[Kenny Moore, "She Runs and We Are Lifted," Sports Illustrated (December 26, 1983), p. 38.] Today’s gospel tells us about another Mary, Mary of Bethany, who did the same thing when Jesus made his last visit to her home.
There is a story about a man who was preparing his favorite breakfast of hot oatmeal when his daughter came rushing in with his little four-year-old grandson. "The babysitter has been delayed," she explained, "and I've got to go to work. Will you keep Bobby for a few hours?" Granddad said, "Sure," and his daughter left. Then Granddad scooped up two bowls of oatmeal. "Do you like sugar?" he asked. When Bobby nodded he asked, "How about some butter, too?" When his grandson nodded again he asked, "How about milk?" "Sure," the boy said. But when the grandfather placed the steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of Bobby, the boy made a face and pushed it away. "But when I asked you, you said you liked sugar, butter and milk," grandfather protested. "Yeah," Bobby answered, "but you didn't ask me if I like oatmeal." Granddad forgot to ask the most elemental question. Sometimes we forget to do that, too. We never set priorities. We never list in our own minds what those things are that matter most. We allow life to buffet us here and there and we never center in on those things that really matter.
*****
From Fr. Tony Kadavil's Collection:
1: Southern Marthas & Mary-Marthas: Like women of many other countries and cultures, Southern women in the United States are great Marthas and proud of it. These women, who have traditional Southern hospitality refined to an art, never sit. They hover. Plates are never allowed to go empty. Guests are continually asked if they need anything. In fact, many times the hostess will continue to cook all through the meal. When does the hostess eat? This is one of the South’s mysteries. The hostess keeps working, huffing around the table. She misses all dinner conversation, all sharing of feelings and information, and gives herself totally to serving. A second type of Southern woman is Mary-Martha. Unflustered, she greets the guests at the door. The table is already set and the kitchen is spotless. This hostess sits, talks, laughs and eats the appetizers with her guests. She excuses herself, goes to the kitchen, and returns with food that’s prepared and ready to eat. At dinner, she remains with those gathered around the table, getting to know the guests, asking about their lives, sharing her own thoughts and feelings. In today’s Gospel, Jesus expresses his preference for Mary-Marthas over Southern Marthas. (Mary W. Ander).
# 2: “Start each day with an hour of prayer. “A true story is told about an advertising executive at Reader’s Digest, who found her emptiness filled in by prayer, listening to God, as Mary did in today’s Gospel. In spite of her successful career, she had felt emptiness in her life. One morning, during a breakfast meeting with her marketing consultant, she mentioned that emptiness. “Do you want to fill it?” her colleague asked. “Of course, I do,” she said. He looked at her and replied, “Then start each day with an hour of prayer.” She looked at him and said, “Don, you’ve got to be kidding. If I tried that, I’d go off my rocker.” Don smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I said 20 years ago.” The woman left the restaurant in turmoil. Begin each morning with prayer? Begin each morning with an hour of prayer? Absolutely out of the question! Yet, the next morning she found herself doing exactly that. And she’s been doing it ever since. This woman is the first to admit that it has not always been easy. There have been mornings when she was filled with great peace and joy. But there have been other mornings when she was filled with nothing but weariness. And it was on these weary mornings that she remembered something else that her marketing consultant said. “There will be times when your mind just won’t go into God’s sanctuary. That’s when you spend your hour in God’s waiting room. Still, you’re there, and God appreciates your struggle to stay there.” Today’s Gospel reminds us of the need to combine work and prayer.
# 3: “I would like to be married to both of them”: Some single men in a Bible study group were discussing who would make the better wife–Martha or Mary. One fellow said, “Well, I think Martha would make the better wife. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It sounds like Martha surely knew how to cook. I would love to be married to a woman like that!” Another man said, “I think Mary would make the better wife. She was always so thoughtful, sweet and loving. I could be very happy, married to a woman like Mary!” Finally, another fellow settled the argument when he said, “Well, I would like to be married to both of them. I would like Martha before supper and Mary after supper.” Today’s Gospel challenges us to combine the listening spirit of Mary with the dynamic spirit of Martha in our Christian lives.
#4: “She can sit all evening at the feet of a friend and not say anything.” The headline on the cover of Sports Illustrated some time back read: “Sportswoman of the Year.” One of the pictures on the cover showed Mary Decker pressing the tape as she defeated, by inches, the Soviet champion, Zamira Zaitseva, in the 1500-meter world championship race. The article went on to describe Decker’s phenomenal performances in San Diego, Los Angeles, Gateshead (England), Stockholm, Paris, and Oslo. One comment was made about Mary Decker by the writer of the article that is relevant to our discussion today. He wrote, “She can sit all evening at the feet of a friend and not say anything, just smile and let the talk wash over her.”[Kenny Moore, “She Runs and We Are Lifted,” Sports Illustrated (December 26, 1983), p. 38.] Today’s Gospel tells us about another Mary, Mary of Bethany, who did the same thing when Jesus made his last visit to her home.
5) A day off for the pastor? A distraught woman tried many times to contact her pastor only to discover that it was his day off. She made contact with him the next day and scolded him severely. “Father, I needed you yesterday,” she said, “and you were not there for me. You have let me down. I cannot believe you would take a day off when so many people like me need you.” Then she added, “The devil never takes a day off.” The pastor, a little irritated and with tongue in cheek, responded, “And if I didn’t take a day off, I would be just like him, wouldn’t I?”
6) Pope St. John Paul II and busy-like-Martha. A person had been confined to a mental institute. After years of treatment it was decided that he was well enough to be discharged. So, the psychiatrist approached his patient to congratulate him. “I have good news for you. The board has examined your case and they have decided that you are completely cured. You can go home.” Seeing the resentful look on the face of the patient, the doctor said: “Why are you reacting in this way? Aren’t you happy now that you are cured?” And the man ranted back, “I am cured, but I am not going home! When I came here, I was Pope Francis. I was busy like Martha in the Bible story, blessing people, writing encyclicals and giving daily papal audience to all the inmates and visitors of this house. But I will be nobody at home!”
25- Additional Anecdotes
1) “Peace of mind.” “Burnout” has become a term everybody knows, because we see people around us collapsing into numbness and addiction — if not to alcohol or drugs, to television or pleasure or to the rat-race of getting ahead. It’s little wonder that a USA Today poll a couple of years ago showed that an overwhelming majority of people from all walks of life, when asked what they wanted most from life, replied “peace of mind.” The tale of two sisters from Bethany, today’s Gospel, tells us how to have it. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2) John 12:21: There is a time-honored story about a newly ordained young priest fresh out of seminary who was assigned to his first parish in a small, farming community. Each Sunday he preached exegetical sermons that had nothing to do with the lives of the people. In fact, over the years the village congregation had become quite patient and tolerant, gifted with the task of training young priests in the realities of Church life. Months went by, and then one Sunday the elderly sacristan who prepared the sanctuary for the Mass left a note on the pulpit. “Read John 12:21.” That’s all it said, John 12:21. Well, the young priest arrived in the sanctuary to prepare for the morning’s Mass. He saw the note on the pulpit which read “John 12:21.” A curious thing to find in the pulpit, he thought. So, he quickly thumbed through his Bible and found the passage which read: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (Merlin T. Batt, http://www.trucc.org/sermons/02‑03‑02.htm). In today’s Gospel story, while Martha was busy preparing to feed Jesus, Mary wanted to see Jesus and listen to him. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
3) C priorities: A time-management guru, a professor in the business school at Harvard, speaks about A, B, and C priorities, and then he notes that too many people spend too much of their time on the C priorities! And then he asks, “Why do you think that is?” The answer is that the C priorities are, first, much easier to accomplish, and, second, give you the impression that you are actually getting something done. In other words, you can keep busy with the C priorities all day and never get to the more important things. The lesson from Mary and Martha is “Don’t let the good (the C priorities) get in the way of the best (the A priorities).) Sound like anyone you know? (Dr. James Rueb, Overcoming Busyness). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
4) One more football story. When Vince Lombardi took over the Green Bay Packers, they were on the bottom. In 1958, they lost 10 out of 12 games, tied 1 and won 1. When they came to camp in June of 1959 Vince Lombardi said, “Gentlemen, we are going to have a football team. We are going to win some games. Get that!” Now how were they going to do that? “You are going to learn to block, run and tackle,” he said. “You are going to outplay all the teams that come up against you.” Then he threw in the clincher! “You are to have confidence in me and enthusiasm for my system,” he ordered. “Hereafter, I want you to think of only three things: your home, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers.” We would quarrel with the order but not the spirit of Lombardi’s challenge. He had narrowed his priorities to those simple things that he considered important. We could learn from that. For we, too, must decide what is really important in our lives, as Mary did in today’s Gospel story. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
5) Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper: There was a cartoon in the New Yorker magazine in which a man and his wife were in a famous art gallery where they saw Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper. The man said to his wife, “That reminds me. I have an Administrative Board meeting tomorrow.” Do you get it? The Lord’s Supper was not a Church meeting, but a fellowship meal. Church meetings are important, but only if they are connected to God. All work and no pray soon produces a frazzled Christian. Does that not describe many people today both in the Church and out? A Gallup poll reveals that 95% of Americans hate their jobs. They derive from them very little meaning and find very little purpose in them. The highest incidence of heart attacks takes place on Monday mornings between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. [The Living Pulpit, Work Issue, Vol. 5, No. 3 (July-Sept. 1996), p. 8]. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
6) Set your priorities: There is a story about a man who was preparing his favorite breakfast of hot oatmeal when his daughter came rushing in with his little four-year-old grandson. “The babysitter has been delayed,” she explained, “and I’ve got to go to work. Will you keep Bobby for a few hours?” Granddad said, “Sure,” and his daughter left. Then Granddad scooped up two bowls of oatmeal. “Do you like sugar?” he asked. When Bobby nodded he asked, “How about some butter, too?” When his grandson nodded again he asked, “How about milk?” “Sure,” the boy said. But when the grandfather placed the steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of Bobby, the boy made a face and pushed it away. “But when I asked you, you said you liked sugar, butter and milk,” grandfather protested. “Yeah,” Bobby answered, “but you didn’t ask me if I like oatmeal.” Granddad forgot to ask the most elemental question. Sometimes we forget to do that, too. We never set priorities. We never list in our own minds what those things are that matter most. We allow life to buffet us here and there and we never center in on those things that really matter. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
7) Welcome to a man with his hat on: A man attending a crowded Church service refused to take off his hat when asked to do so by the ushers. Others also asked him to remove his hat, but he remained obstinate. The preacher was perturbed, too, and waited for the man after the service. He told the man that the Church was quite happy to have him as a guest, and invited him to join the Church, but he explained the traditional decorum regarding men’s hats and said, “I hope you will conform to that practice in the future.” “Thank you,” said the man. “And thank you for taking time to talk to me. It is good of you to invite me to join the congregation. In fact, I joined it three years ago and have been coming regularly ever since, but today is the first time that anyone paid attention to me. After being an unknown for three years, today, by simply keeping on my hat on, I have had the pleasure of talking with the ushers, several of the congregants and you. Thanks!” Our Scripture for this Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time is about welcoming – about hospitality. It is about noticing the other and being attentive to the other. “Hospitality is the way we come out of ourselves. It is the first step toward dismantling the barriers of the world. Hospitality is the way we turn a prejudiced world around, one heart at a time.” (Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister). In our first reading, Abraham and Sarah go out of their way to entertain the stranger, and they receive God’s blessing. In the Gospel, Martha and Mary receive Jesus in their home at Bethany, each in her own characteristic way. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
8) Set your priorities correctly: A mountain guide, Michael Zanger, once told of leading some men up Mount Shasta. One man was having great difficulty breathing. His face coloring was unusual. Frequent stops for rest did not seem to help. As they continued to climb, his breathing was punctuated by coughing and spitting froth mixed with blood. To make matters worse, a sudden snowstorm confined them to hastily erected tents. Michael thought the man might die of heart failure. As he lay there, Michael revealed that they could call for rescuers because he had a cellular phone. The man showed interest. “Would you make a personal call for me?” asked the man. Michael thought to himself, “This man thinks he’s critical, and he wants to speak to his loved ones one last time,” so he said, “Yes.” “Well,” said the man, “would you call my broker in San Francisco and ask what the value of my stock is today?” That actually happened! The absurdity of what was important to this man became a frequent joke on future climbs (Gary Anderson in Eileen H. Wilmoth, 365 Devotions). Today’s Gospel warns us to set our priorities straight. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
9) “Tell me about Spitfires!” During World War II, the Royal Air Force flew Danny’s favorite plane of all time: the Spitfire. If a pilot flew a Spitfire, little Danny thought, he would always hit his target, and he would always return home. One day the British Consul, a retired pilot from Minneapolis came to Danny’s town to visit. Danny’s dad was chairman of the County War Bond drive so that gave him the honor of entertaining the British Consul in his home. His mother, Suzanne, went crazy with preparations. The day the Consul arrived 40 people crammed into three rooms to welcome this man. Each one of those people couldn’t wait to tell this tall, thin diplomat from England about the town, about how patriotic it was, about how he or she had a great-aunt in London, about how well the war was going. They all had plenty to say. Suzanne was running around fractiously trying to serve everybody and greet everybody. Finally, the British Consul sat down. For a split second he was actually by himself. The hostess had left to get him a drink; all the other guests momentarily turned away. Little Danny saw his chance. He ran to him and said to him: “Tell me about Spitfires!” The tall man looked at the eight-year-old and smiled. “I’ll tell you a story about Spitfires. I flew one early in the war. It was splendid. I shot down a Messerschmitt and I came home alive. The next time I wasn’t so lucky. That’s why I’m not flying anymore. What is your name? I’ll send you some pictures of Spitfires.” About a month later a letter came from Minneapolis. Inside was a folder about Spitfires and a note from the Consul: “Dear Danny. I enjoyed talking with you. You were the only one who had time to listen to me. Good luck.” He signed his name. Danny was the only person who didn’t barrage the Consul’s ears with information about the town and American patriotism. This small boy was the only one who said, “Tell me about Spitfires.” He was the only one who actually listened to him — even if it was just for a few minutes! Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus, too, needs somebody to listen to him as Mary of Bethany did. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
10) “Look busy, Man! Look busy!” A religious poll asked people this question: “Do you believe in the Second Coming of Christ?” If the respondent said yes, a subsequent question was put to them: “What would you do if you knew Jesus was coming back today?” One young man replied, “Look busy, Man! Look busy!” Isn’t that the mindset of our age? It seems as though most of us build our lives on the premise that personal worth and significance, as well as meaning in life, are dependent upon being busy. Too often we are identified by what we produce and what we achieve. We are even identified on the basis of how much we consume — not only of material goods but education, public events, passive hobbies and pleasure. (See Tilden Edwards, Sabbath). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
11) Prayer attributed to Nicholas Herman, known as Bro. Lawrence (17thcentury), who served as a lay brother and cook in a Carmelite monastery in Paris.
Lord of all pots and pans, since I’ve no time to be
A saint by doing lovely things, or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in dawn light, or storming heaven’s gates
Make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
12) Marymusicians and Marthameals: A perfect example of a Mary-Martha balance is in the ministry of the Marymusicians from Edison Lutheran Church of Bow, Washington. They are parishioners who pile into cars like Julie Wilkinson Rousseau’s ’66 Mustang convertible, at sundown, Wednesday evenings in the summer, to drive through the countryside sixty miles north of Seattle and make their way onto the porches of the ill and grieving to sing them to sleep. With Gretchen Johanson on guitar, they sing songs like: “Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” and “Day By Day” from Godspell. It’s a very simple ministry, two to ten, singing to people with special needs on their porches or outside their bedroom windows. Marymusic is the “sister” to Marthameals, the name coined when Rousseau was scheduling three groups to provide dinners for a cancer patient. On one food delivery, Rousseau says she realized, “The meal nourished the patient’s family but her need was food for the soul.” So Rousseau gathered singers from church and told them not to bring food but music … they sang to Dorothy Anderson after her husband, Gus, died. And to four-year-old Thor Knutzen, who’s on the heart transplant waiting list. A widower, Fred, who’s not a member of this 400-member congregation still talks about the parishioners who sang for his wife, Kai, who was then dying from cancer. She requested “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and later said, “I just had a real sense of peace sitting there.”[Julie Sevig, The Lutheran Magazine, “Porch Lullabies” (September 2003), p. 24.] Two sisters representing two aspects of the Christian life alert us to the task of balance as we remember “the one thing needful.” Amen. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
13) “You he should have consulted the firm before getting married.“ Theologian William Stringfellow tells the story of a friend who graduated at the same time as he did from Harvard Law School. This friend accepted a position with a well-known Wall Street firm. The classmate married the summer before he began at the firm. When he later reported to work, his employer told the new lawyer that he should have consulted the firm before getting married. However, they said, “Since he was married, it would be advisable for him and his wife to refrain from having any children for at least two or three years. Furthermore, for the sake of his advancement in the firm, he should and would want to devote all of his time both in the office and in his personal life to the service of the firm, and children might interfere with this.” [Quentin J. Schultze, Communicating for Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2000), p. 79] The firm wanted him to have no other god than his work. And there are many people today who are making that kind of commitment to their employer. A study by the Roper Organization sometime back showed that recent MBA graduates work at least 80 hours per week. There is nothing wrong with hard work, as long as it does not stand in the way of close relationships with other people and with God. Martha and Mary’s story in today’s Gospel teaches that there is a time for work by doing good to others and there is a time for prayer by talking to God and listening to Him. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
14) Flying Scot: In the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, the “flying Scot” who was expected to run in and win the 100-meter dash in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, refused to run in the heats for that race because they were on Sunday afternoon, and so he was disqualified. His sister – they were children of missionaries to China, and they planned to return there – didn’t want him to run at all. But he said to her, “I believe God made me for a purpose; he also made me fast.” And so he ran in, and won, the 400-meter run later in the games. Liddell might be accused simply of living by a rigid set of rules and laws because he would not run on the Sabbath, but more than that, he had a relationship with the living Christ. In Christ he had discovered a purpose for his life, as the film suggests, for at the end of the movie a postscript told how he went to China as a missionary and died there at the end of World War II, and “All Scotland mourned for him.” He had found what Mary of Bethany must have discovered, a lasting relationship with the Christ that raises one’s life to higher levels of love and service. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
15) Losing the focus: John C. Maxwell tells about an Eastern Airlines jumbo jet that crashed in the Everglades of Florida some time back. The plane was the now-famous Flight 401, bound from New York to Miami with a heavy load of holiday passengers. As the plane approached the Miami airport for its landing, the light that indicates proper deployment of the landing gear failed to light. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked to see if the gear actually had not deployed, or if instead the bulb in the signal light was defective. When the flight engineer tried to remove the light bulb, it wouldn’t budge. The other members of the crew tried to help him. As they struggled with the bulb, no one noticed the aircraft was losing altitude, and the plane simply flew right into the swamp. Dozens of people were killed in the crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced pilots fiddled with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, the plane with its passengers flew right into the ground. [Developing the Leader Within You (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993).] That happens sometimes. It happens in business, it happens in the home, it happens in our daily lives. We lose sight of what really matters. http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
16) “Mostly Martha” There is a pleasing illustration of Martha’s attitude in an excellent German film marketed in the US under the title Mostly Martha. The lead character—not accidentally named Martha—is a German cook obsessed with perfection, who has forgotten that food and eating are ultimately forms of communion with other persons, an expression of love and fellowship. In the course of the film—and through much pain—she learns to open herself to a communion of love with her young niece and an Italian chef who becomes her husband. (The Sacred Space). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
17) The Love Squad “Oh, no! Not company!” I groaned the moment the car rounded the corner and our house came into full view. Usually I’d be thrilled to see four cars lined up in our driveway, but after I spent a week-long vigil at the hospital with an ill child, my house was a colossal mess. Turning off the car engine, I dragged myself to the front door. ‘What are you doing home so soon?’ my friend Judie called from the kitchen. ‘We weren’t expecting you for another hour!’ She walked toward me and gave me a hug, then asked softly, ‘How are you doing?’ Was this my house? Was I dreaming? Everything looked so clean. Where did these flowers come from? Suddenly more voices, more hugs, Lorraine, smiling and wiping beads of perspiration from her forehead, came up from the family room where she had just finished ironing a mountain of clean clothes. Regina peeked into the kitchen, having finished vacuuming rugs and polishing and dusting furniture in every room in the house. Joan, still upstairs wrestling with the boy’s bunk-bed sheets, called down her ‘hello,’ having already brought order out of chaos in all four bedrooms. ‘When did you guys get here?’ was my last coherent sentence. ‘How come….how come… you did all this?’ I cried unashamedly, every ounce of resistant gone. I had spent the week praying through a health crisis, begging God for a sense of His presence at the hospital. Instead, He laid a mantle of order, Beauty and loving care into our home through these four “angels.” ‘You rest a while, Virelle,’ Lorraine said firmly. “Here’s your dinner for tonight-there are more meals in the freezer.’ ‘Don’t worry. We’re all praying,” my friends said. “God has everything under control.” After my friends left, I wandered from room to room, still sobbing from the enormity of their gift of time and work. In the living room I found a note under a vase filled with peonies. I was to have come home and found it as their only identity: ‘The Love Squad was here.’ And I knew that God had everything under control.” Today’s episode from the Gospel according to Luke tells us of the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and her sister Mary, where, apparently, he would relax in the company of friends.
(Virelle Kidder from Decision Magazine; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
18) Interruptions or…..? Once a man went to see a friend of his who was a professor at a great university. However, as they sat chatting in the professor’s office, they were continually interrupted by students, who came knocking at the door, seeking the professor’s advice about something or other. Each time the professor rose from his chair, went to the door, and dealt with the student’s request. Eventually the visitor asked the professor, ‘How do you manage to get any work done with so many interruptions?’ ‘At first I used to resent the interruptions to my work. But one day it suddenly dawned on me that the interruptions were my work,’ the professor replied. That professor could have locked himself away and devoted his time to his own private work. In that way he would no doubt have had a quieter life. But being the generous and unselfish person that he was, he couldn’t do that. Instead he made his work consist in being available to his students. It was no surprise that he was greatly loved by the students. And it was no coincidence that he was one of the happiest and most fulfilled professors on the campus. (Flor McCarthy in Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
19) Your Abba’s arms: Some time back, my daughter Jenna and I spent several days in the old city of Jerusalem. One afternoon, as we were exiting the Jaffa gate, we found ourselves behind an Orthodox Jewish family – a father and his three small girls. One of the daughters, perhaps four or five years of age, fell a few steps behind and couldn’t see her father. “Abba!” she called to him. He stopped and looked. Only then did he realize he was separated from his daughter. “Abba!” she called again. He spotted her and immediately extended his hand. She took it and I took mental notes as they continued. I wanted to see the actions of an abba. He held her hand tightly in his as they descended the ramp. When he stopped at a busy street, she stepped off the curb, so he pulled her back. When the signal changed, he led her and her sisters through the intersection. In the middle of the street, he reached down and swung her up into his arms and continued their journey. Isn’t that what we all need? An abba who will hear when we call? Who will take our hand when we’re weak? Who will guide us through the hectic intersections of life? Don’t we all need an abba who will swing us up into his arms and carry us home? We all need a father. -There’s a God in Heaven Who wants you to call Him your Abba. (Max Lucado from The Great House of our God; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
20) Making Choices: The American Psychotherapist and writer, Thomas Moore, said: “There is no doubt that some people would spare themselves the expense and trouble of psycho-therapy simply by giving themselves a few minutes each day for quiet reflection. This simple act would provide what is missing in their lives – a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for the soul.” Like Martha, we are very active in our daily lives, dutifully attending to a number of chores that need to be done. But like Mary, we need to give ourselves a break -space and time for quiet reflection, as we do each time we participate in the Eucharist. This is both necessary and important to provide what is essential for every human being – a period of non-doing that is essential nourishment for our souls. (J. Valladares in Your Words O Lord Are Spirit, and They Are Life; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
21) The Promise Keeper: Martin Luther King Jr. shortly after assuming his role as community leader and activist started receiving phone calls threatening his life and family. One night a caller ordered him to leave town in three days or risk having his home firebombed. Unable to sleep, King went into the kitchen hoping to find some relief in a warm cup of coffee. He sat at his kitchen table wrestling with his present crisis and came face-to-face with the fact that he could lose his newborn daughter or wife at any moment. Looking within himself, King prayed, “Lord I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I think the cause we represent is right. But I’m weak now. I’m faltering and I’m losing my courage.” At that moment King heard a voice saying, “Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth and ‘Lo, I will be with you even till the end of the world.”‘ From then on, King was sustained by God’s promise to be with him. Today’s Gospel story speaks of Jesus’ visit to the house of Martha and Mary and the welcome he received in this home. (Prince Rainy Rivers in Text this week; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
22) “I want to be a TV”: A Primary School teacher asked her pupils to write an essay on, “A wish you want from God?” At the end of the day, the teacher collected all the essays given by her pupils. She took them to her house, sat down and started marking while watching the TV. Whilst marking the essays, she saw a strange essay written by one of her pupils. That essay made her very emotional. Her husband came and sat beside her and saw her crying. The husband asked her, “What happened?” “What’s making you cry?” She answered, “Read this. It is one of my pupil’s essay. ”Oh, God, make me a Television. I want to live like the TV in my house. In my house, the TV is very valuable. All of my family members sit around it. They are very interested in it. When the TV is talking, my parents listen to it very happily. They don’t shout at the TV. They don’t quarrel with the TV. They don’t slap the TV. So I want to become a TV. The TV is the center of attraction in my house. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives from my parents. Even when it is not working, the TV has a lot of value. When my dad and mom come home, they immediately sit in front of the TV, switch it on and spend hours watching it. The TV is stealing the time of my dad and my mom. If I become a TV, then they will spend their time with me. While watching the TV, my parents laugh a lot and they smile many times. But I want my parents to laugh and smile with me also. So please God make me a TV. And last but not the least, if I become a TV, surely, I can make my parents happy and entertain them. Lord I won’t ask you for anything more. I just want to live like a TV. Please turn me into a TV.” The husband completed reading the essay. He said “My God, poor kid! He feels lonely. He did not receive enough love and care from his parents. His parents are horrible.” The eyes of the primary School teacher filled with tears. She looked at her husband and said, “Our son wrote this essay.” — Today’s Gospel presents Martha, with the same desire of getting full, undivided attention from Jesus. (Fr. Nelson, WordPress.com). May our children never desire to be Whatsapp, Phones, Facebook, Twitter or TVs to get love and affection! http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
23) Don’t Forget the Best: There is an ancient Scottish legend that tells the story of a shepherd boy tending a few straggling sheep on the side of a mountain. One day as he cared for his sheep he saw at his feet a beautiful flower — one that was more beautiful than any he had ever seen in his life. He knelt down upon his knees and scooped the flower in his hands and held it close to his eyes, drinking in its beauty. As he held the flower close to his face, suddenly he heard a noise and looked up before him. There he saw a great stone mountain opening up right before his eyes. And as the sun began to shine on the inside of the mountain, he saw the sprinkling of the beautiful gems and precious metals that it contained. With the flower in his hands, he walked inside. Laying the flower down, he began to gather all the gold and silver and precious gems in his arms. Finally with all that his arms could carry, he turned and began to walk out of that great cavern, and suddenly a voice said to him, “Don’t forget the best.” Thinking that perhaps he had overlooked some choice piece of treasure, he turned around again and picked up additional pieces of priceless treasure. And with his arms literally overflowing with wealth, he turned to walk back out of the great mountainous vault. And again the voice said, “Don’t forget the best.” But by this time his arms were filled and he walked on outside, and all of a sudden, the precious metals and stones turned to dust. And he looked around in time to see the great Stone Mountain closing its doors again. A third time he heard the voice, and this time the voice said, “You forgot the best. For the beautiful flower is the key to the vault of the mountain.” In our Scripture passage we have someone who also forgot the best. Her name was Martha. (Adrian Dieleman, Hosts and Guest; quoted by Fr. Kayala). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
24) There Is Always a Load Limit: Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the New Yorker magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, “Load Limit 8 tons,” was a truck, also marked on its side, “8 tons.” When the 8-ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8-ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck into the river below, to the obvious surprise of the bluebird. The bridge was built as indicated for 8-tons; the truck weighed exactly that. The bridge could hold up under its load limit, but not under 8-tons and one bluebird. Of course, this story is wonderfully ridiculous. Most bridges could stand up under their load limit and several thousand bluebirds extra. But, to be sure, all bridges have a breaking point somewhere “that point at which the bluebird would be just much too much. But, friends, it really isn’t the bluebird that breaks it down. It is the fact that 8 tons are already present. We all have bluebird troubles, don’t we? We are all burdened by the facts of our lives which load us to the point of “load limit.” We let little things get the best of us, little bluebirds of nothingness, tiny bluebirds of no importance, but just the thing to bring us down. Every person has a limit and we would do well to watch for the warning signs of one bluebird too many. There is always a load limit. (Arthur E. Dean Windhorn, Sermons.com; quoted by Fr. Kayala). http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
25) “I made them for you!”: A story is told of a father who had a little daughter that he dearly loved. They were great friends – the father and the daughter – and were always together. But there seemed to come an estrangement on the child’s part. The father could not get her company as formerly. She seemed to shun him. If he wanted her to walk with him, she had something else to do. The father was grieved and could not understand what the trouble was. Then his birthday came and in the morning his daughter came to his room, her face radiant with love, and handed him a present. Opening the parcel, he found a pair of exquisitely worked slippers. The father said, “My child, it was very good of you to BUY me such lovely slippers.” “Oh, father,” she said, “I did not buy them. I MADE them for you! “Looking at her he said, “I think I understand now what long had been a mystery to me. Is this what you had been doing the last three months?” “Yes,” she said, “but how did you know how long I had been at work on them?” He said, “Because for three months I have missed your company and your love. I badly wanted you with me, but you have been too busy. These are beautiful slippers, but next time BUY your present and let me have YOU all those days. I would rather have my child herself than anything she could make for me.” (Quoted by Fr. Lakra).
