Greetings!

The image of Mater Admirabilis beautifully captures what Jesus meant by "the better part" (Lk 10:42). The original fresco of the Virgin Mary (1844) by Pauline Perdrau, a novice of the Society of the Sacred Heart, can be found in the Trinità dei Monti in Rome, but the image I grew up with is located on the main staircase of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Malta. As a student, I must have passed this image several times a day, en route to classrooms, dormitory, refectory, library, assembly hall, and playground. Running up or down the stairs, two steps at a time, I doubt if I or my classmates paused long enough to absorb the symbolism in this image. Had we done so, we might have concluded that prayer was preferable to studying and that we would be better off abandoning our books for the contemplative life.

But the "better part" portrayed in this image does not negate the need for work; in fact, Mary's book and distaff are at the front of the painting, not abandoned but waiting. The book is still open, and Mary lightly holds the spindle in her left hand. Here, the "better part" suggests placing prayer before work and God before action-- the monastic ideal of Ora et labora.

This ideal of "prayer first" not only applies to studying, but to action of all kinds. Before making what the late civil rights activist and politician John Lewis described as "Good Trouble," leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Berrigan brothers prepared themselves through prayer, fasting, and reflection; instead of relying on weapons or physical force, they chose "the better part" -- soul force-- as their way of bringing about systemic change. Dr. King, for example, invited volunteers to sign a commitment card that began with the mandate to meditate daily on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Regardless of faith tradition or denomination, those engaged in important "work," whether it be raising a child, harvesting crops, governing an institution, or advocating for the environment, need to honor "the better part," if they intend to build on a solid foundation. Right action is always grounded in some kind of contemplation. When the soul is left out of the equation, then the results are seldom those we would wish for.



Many Blessings!

Elizabeth

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. Her sister Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, complained to Jesus:

"Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the serving? Tell her to help me."

The Lord replied,

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is a need for only one thing: Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her."

Luke 10:38-42

In some ways, Martha has been much maligned. In Lk 10:38-42, Jesus scolds her -- perhaps playfully-- for choosing to serve rather than sit at his feet like her sister, Mary. Although Jesus and his entourage of disciples undoubtedly enjoyed the single-handed feast that Martha prepared, his gentle reprimand has led Christians to view the sisters as types: Mary as the representative of contemplation, and Martha as the representative of action. Though both contemplation and action are twin aspects of spirituality, it is Mary who has chosen "the better part," the "one thing" that matters...

There are shades of sibling rivalry in Martha's complaint. We hear resentment and frustration, perhaps envy as she appeals to Jesus to intervene. Those of us who grew up with siblings might remember times when we protested, "It's not fair!" due to some perceived favoritism enjoyed by a brother or sister —perhaps the gift of a more expensive toy, some unexpected privilege, or being exempt from household chores. Rather like the older brother in The Parable of the Prodigal Son, we may have felt slighted, even angry. Placing ourselves as spectators in the story of Martha and Mary, we might conclude that while we would prefer to sit at the feet of Jesus as his disciple, there is work to be done -- the "work" of hospitality that was so foundational to the Mediterranean world at that time and that we see reflected in our first reading (Gn18:1-10a).

The typical commentary on this Gospel story is that we need to incorporate both "Martha" and "Mary" in our lives, while allowing Mary to predominate. This approach values contemplation over action, but fails to ask, "What is the one thing that matters?" Jesus suggests that worry and anxiety obscure this "one thing" and that many "things" (burdens) can cloud our capacity to respond to it. Perhaps a more nuanced answer would be that whether we are engaged in action or prayer, we need to "show up" freely, without litanies of complaints and petitions, and simply be present to the Holy One in our midst. Perhaps the "one thing" is the ability to create a seamless life in which there is no division between action and contemplation, but rather a unified way of being available to God, regardless of what we are doing or not doing. Perhaps, when all is said and done, Martha and Mary represent two sides of the same reality: a unified life lived in harmony, gratitude, and love.

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• How do Martha and Mary show up in YOUR life?
• How might you achieve more balance between action and contemplation?
• To what extent is the church driven by Martha instead of Mary?
• What is the "one thing" that YOU are seeking?

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