Martha, for many of us, is so relatable. All the Marthas of the world think that it “must be nice” to have the time to relax. It must be nice to feel at liberty to make other people pick up our slack while we take the time for what looks like luxury.
For many of us, Jesus’ response to Martha’s not-so-subtle cries for help seem a bit difficult to understand. Who, after all, was supposed to prepare all of the food and make sure that the disciples’ needs were being met?
If we summon a little humility, we can see that Jesus was telling Martha (and us) that the show will go on without us for a time. So we can go ahead and fix a tea for ourselves. If the Son of God can take time out to pray, we are slightly more replaceable than he is. That’s not to discount Martha’s gifts and her good intentions, because she was killing it, after all. Killing it at the second most important thing, that is.
It isn’t crazy to want distinguished guests to be comfortable and to want to make a gift of oneself and one’s home. Martha was right to want Jesus to feel restored and to have his needs met. But at what cost? Many of us highly motivated and well-meaning stewards consistently take on larger burdens than we can shoulder until we are crushed under the weight of our duties.
In our daily lives, Jesus wants our hearts more than our hospitality. By not having her life in proper order – by not recognizing her heavenly guest – Martha was suffering mental anguish. And would you just look around and see the mental anguish that abounds? When the most important thing is not put in the most important place, the result is anguish. This story in Luke’s gospel is explicitly directed at our “worried and troubled” generation. We who can’t seem to find peace even in our times of recreation and repose.
Do we see Jesus in our homes in our day-to-day shuffle? Or are we too busy putting our action items ahead of sitting at his feet? When we are activists instead of adorers, we begin first to spiritually collapse and then eventually the collapse becomes physical and measurable.
So many good Catholics became hyper-focused on social justice projects and on fixing the world instead of on loving Jesus first and foremost through devotion to his Church and the sacraments. When the kingdom is sought first – in our hearts and in our homes – then we are able to have spiritual and mental energy for living full, rich lives.
There is a famous story wherein an overworked sister in Mother Teresa’s order was asking Mother for advice to avoid what sounded like burnout. She was lamenting the impossible workload and unsure how to mitigate the feelings of discouragement and overwhelm. Mother Teresa’s advice was, as expected, very Mother Teresa-esque. The sister in question was told to increase her time in adoration in order to put things back into sharp focus.
In her Hallow series “Mom to Mom,” Catholic author and speaker Lila Rose talks about how always being in a hurry betrays a lack of trust in God. “For the mother to reflect the love of God to their child, we need to be in a position to make an act of trust. Because what is behind the rush throughout the day? That inability to be still or to play with your child or to have that extra hug with your child? What prevents it is: rushing and preoccupation with things that need to be done.”
We can show our children that God is in charge by the way we move throughout our day, by refusing to rush around, anxious and worried about many things. Our children will remember our example more than our words. If we are putting God first, our children will, without even realizing it, begin to relate to God from a posture of trust in their daily affairs and their workloads.
If love of God is our first goal as a church, we will never be short on friends, vocations, and charity for our neighbour. If love of God is first in our families, our children will see how we go about our day peacefully (sometimes!) and without compulsion or anxiety. Do we have enough trust to sit down and be still for a spell?
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