Tuesday in the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

Martha and Mary I feel sorry for Martha, rebuked while preparing a good meal for her guest. Didn’t Jesus himself say, “Let the greatest among you be the one who serves. I am among you as one who serves”?1 Why didn’t Jesus say, “Mary, let’s both go and give Martha a hand”? Instead, he says: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.”

Yet, are not contemplatives also called to serve one another and their guests? Of course they are! Everyone is called to the generous work of loving service at one time and to the contemplative intimacy of a listening and loving disciple at other times.

But if we often neglect to be contemplative in favor of working more, especially for work and hobbies that are self-satisfying, then we are neglecting the better part, we are neglecting Jesus.