Sunday, July 18, 2010
Luke 10:38-42 July 18, 2010
In this week’s Gospel, we hear the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary. In typical hospitable style, Martha is busy preparing a meal to welcome Jesus. Mary, on the other hand, is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him. Martha becomes annoyed that Mary is not helping her prepare the meal and asks Jesus to demand that Mary assist. Instead Jesus replies, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.”* Often this Gospel passage is discussed in terms of the tension between the active and contemplative life and that Jesus is holding up the contemplative life as the better part. Yet in last week’s Gospel we heard the story of the Good Samaritan (it is the passage immediately before this story of Martha and Mary in Luke’s Gospel) which honors the importance of compassionate action (reaching out to a stranger in need) from the commandment, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus often breaks down the tension between either/or with a both/and approach. In the next chapter of Luke’s Gospel, he encourages the disciples to hear God’s Word and keep it (translate it into action.) Perhaps that is what he is doing in this passage because without first hearing (listening) to the Word, our actions might not be sustainable. Without connection to the life-giving Word, without a vision of what God is calling us to do, even the most compassionate acts could wear us down or burn us out. In other words, without a sense of mission, the work of caring for patients and families might lead to annoyance or exhaustion like Martha in today’s passage.
Why? What happens when we hear that life-giving Word that helps us to sustain our ability to provide distinguished patient, resident and family-centered care? Dr. Tom Long from Emory University writes that we realize “our lives are gathered into God’s life, that God is out there in the world healing and feeding and restoring, and therefore what we do for others counts, really counts and we can trust God and hope for God’s new creation.”
For us that translates into healing ministry. It means the work our CNAs do at d’Youville Pavilion really counts, the efforts our patient billing representatives make for patients and families really matter, the food assistance provided at the Nutrition Center really makes a difference. One way we can sustain these actions is through a connection to St. Mary’s mission whether we connect to it through the church, the spirit of St. Marguerite d’Youville or own sense of calling.
That way even in difficult times we can echo St. Marguerite d’Youville’s words, “We shall continue to love and to serve.”
*{Interestingly, Mary’s posture of sitting at the feet of Jesus was the posture of a disciple (usually a man.) In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly turns expectations about the role of women upside down and here he welcomes her in the role of disciple. Later this week on July 22 we also celebrate another woman who was very important in the life and ministry of Jesus-Mary of Magdala.}
Elizabeth Keene
Mission Effectiveness
