Martha or Mary?

I remember asking God why he brought me to a contemplative Congregation in the early years of my religious formation. I’m very active, so I told God that perhaps I could serve him better if he would bring me to a Congregation with orphanages or homes for the aged or those who go to mission areas to teach. Until now, God’s response to my question makes me smile because He was so right! He made me realize that those works will feed my ego and make me justify my pride.  He knew me through and through.

In Father Eymard’s meditation (PM 41,3 VF), he said, Conformity to God’s will is the perfect virtue; it is the soul and queen of virtues. With this word “God wills,” she bends her proud and feeble reason to the sovereign reason of God, to faith. She sustains the trials of hope and makes the sacrifices of humility, penance, and charity accepted Christianly, with generosity, with joy.

I believe that the highest priority in our life is to conform our will to God’s will. Each time I read or listen to this story of Mary and Martha, I usually ask myself if I have been more like any of them for the past week or month, or do I need to be more Mary now or more Martha? Was I able to balance my work and contemplation?

This time, my heart is moved to reflect if my work is the fruit of my contemplation and my contemplation bears fruit through my works.

Listening to God’s word and being aware of his presence in the nitty-gritty of our lives brings our souls into union with God, and our works are fruitful, and we praise God because they are done through him and with him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to know your Son Jesus and bring us closer to him so that his loving presence may manifest in our works and give glory to your name. Amen.