Feast of Mary And Martha Of Bethany

VERMEER, Johannes - Christ in the House of Martha and Mary - 1654-55(?) - Oil on canvas, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Readings:

Psalm 36:5-10 or 33:1-5,20-21
Romans 12:9-13
Luke 10:38-42

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:8-9)


Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
(Luke 10:38-42)

PRAYER

O God, heavenly Father, whose Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love you, open our hearts to hear you, and strengthen our hands to serve you in others for his sake; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

I've always seen myself as more Mary than Martha, and in my younger days, I patted myself on the back for it, just like the Pharisees. However, as I've grown older, I've come to see that there's too often an element of a desire to avoid work in the mix. I no longer pat myself on the back, or, at least, I try hard not to fall into the trap of doing so. Whatever the motivation, I'm not to be about the business of patting myself on the back anyway.

Image from the Web Gallery of Art.