Choose the Better Part

Dear Parishioners:

We live in a busy world. Sometimes it seems as though time speeds up as we get older. We don’t seem to have enough hours in the day to do all the things the world is demanding of us. Also, as technology advances, it gets even harder to detach from news and the noise from outside. If we get caught on this, we might miss the small details that give meaning to our lives. We need to learn how use our time and technology responsibly, avoiding the overuse or misuse of it. This Sunday’s gospel is a reminder to manage our time wisely, so that we might not ignore the presence of God in our midst.

Luke Chapter 10 narrates the story of Jesus meeting Martha and her sister, Mary. Mary sits beside the Lord at his feet listening to him and Martha, burdened with much serving, complains to the Lord that her sister has left her do all the work. At this Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.” Jesus telling Martha “not to worry” is a reminder for us of the value of silence, prayer, and rest.

Silence seems to be missing from our daily lives. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, there is constant noise and we fear missing out on something important or interesting. If we are not listening to the news or surfing the Internet, we worry that we might miss the opportunity of our lifetime. Noise and visuals clog our minds and prevent us from seeing the only thing we really need—God. Sometimes we even fear silence because we wouldn’t know what to do with it. Jesus is calling us to sit at his feet every day and just contemplate in his presence. Make sure you have a time of silence every day, time for just you and God.

Prayer is the rising of the heart and the mind to God. Prayer allows us to heed God’s will. If we don’t pray, we get lost in the business of the world. Prayer also gives us the strength we need to continue in times of trial. Mary chose to listen to Jesus and by doing so she was being strengthened to continue with her mission later on. Just like Mary in this Sunday’s gospel, spend some time in prayer either at home or in church. We have been blessed with the Holy Family adoration chapel here at Saint Catherine’s. You might want to make a visit sometime soon.

Rest is necessary to recharge our batteries. It is a physical need for our bodies; without it we would jeopardize our health. But just like Martha, we seem to have other priorities. We tent to fill every second of the day with all sorts of activities. Even the summer can get very busy between camps, travels, work, and social events. Make sure you take some time for yourself and your family. Some downtime with your family at home or a relaxing day away from work will greatly reduce your stress level. We can surely say that Mary was stress-free while Martha’s anxiety made her unhappy with what she was doing. Follow Mary’s example and take some time to relax this summer.

“Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.” The better part for Mary and us is Jesus. When we concentrate on the presence of God in our lives first, we will realize that we are never truly alone or without help, we will find strength to endure the hardships of life, we will find inner peace in a noisy world, we will experience his grace in our lives. Let us follow the example of Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus first.

Peace

Fr. Lara