Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- Unum Necessarium

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 7.17.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:38–42

Friends, today’s Gospel inspires protests more than almost any other that I’ve preached on.
"Hey Bishop, I thin , k Martha gets a bum rap."
And for centuries the story has been read that Martha represents the "active" life
and Mary the "contemplative" life.
I would like to stress that the active/contemplative reading of the Martha
and Mary story is not that helpful.
We have to dig a little deeper. ¹I 9m I o What does he upbraid Martha for? "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things." It is the frantic, divided, unfocused quality of her life that Jesus is drawing attention to. And .what is Mary being praised for? Not precisely that she is "contemplative," but that she has chosen the unum necessarium (the one necessary thing). She sits quietly at the feet of the Lord, not so much eschewing work as gathering herself, learning what she is essentially about.

There is a cacophony of voices calling out to you;
there are a thousand influences pulling you this way and that.
What’s the one necessary thing?
It is to listen to the voice of Jesus as he tells you
of his love and as he tells you who you are.

[MurphsLaw]

+++Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha
welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet
listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving,
came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself
to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."+++