Today’s Gospel reading may seem counterintuitive. Martha is being a good hostess to Jesus, while Mary is not helping her out.
Except that Mary has made the best choice in making sure to spend time with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Martha has forgotten that if we are to serve God well, we must permit him to serve us and transform our lives. Mary gets that.
St. John reminds us, “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
Taking care of all our earthly duties becomes vain if we do not seek first our Lord Jesus Christ, his kingdom, and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33).
St Paul affirms that we are to have our minds rooted in heaven (Col. 3:1-2).
So it must be in our own lives, giving priority in praying to our Lord and asking for the intercession of the saints, so that we can benefit from his grace and their guidance all day long (Rom. 8:28).
[Readings: Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42]