[Nihil Obstat]

Luke 10:38-42

As they continued their journey he 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."

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that's the monastic life.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The monastic life is the antithesis of the Christian experience. Mother Teresa lived what the cloistered only conjecture.

"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." -- Hebrews 13:16

[HarleyD]

It's interesting that while the Lord reproved Martha of her "much serving", when Lazarrus died it was Martha who ran to meet the Lord as He was coming to raise Lazarrus while Mary "stayed in the house". (John 11) Martha was the one to confess that Jesus was the resurrection, believing He could raise Lazarrus. Mary, otoh, told our Lord, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.", blaming our Lord. (John 11:32) This was the place where the scriptures states that "Jesus wept" because of their unbelief. Certainly not Martha's but everyone else.

I only mention this in passing because I think Martha gets a bum rap. Mary might have sat at Jesus' feet while Martha was making cheese snacks, but Martha was by far more spiritually mature of the two.