Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 17, 2022
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.”
This is one of my favorite gospel passages—the gentle and consoling Jesus, encouraging Martha to slow down, and Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet, focusing her serene gaze on him. This passage challenges me to take a supernatural view of the many important things which fill my days and to explore how I might choose “the better part.”
My mother, Roberta, died 19 years ago today. She was 59 and had suffered for years from cancer. Over a thousand people turned out for her wake and funeral, and we heard countless stories about how she impacted people’s lives.
She didn’t have a prestigious resume, and her LinkedIn profile today would not have been particularly impressive. But her death prompted an outpouring of gratitude for the incalculable ways she touched people. How did that happen? She loved…and loved and loved, and then loved some more.
My dear mother reminds me of Mary from today’s gospel. Mary didn’t get caught up in the busyness of life when she had an opportunity to focus on the face of Jesus. Her to-do list didn’t dominate—she prioritized our Lord. She knew the housework needed attention, just as our to-do lists need ours, but at what cost? Christ himself says Mary chose the better part and most importantly, “it will not be taken from her.”
My mother was always the subject of good-natured kidding from our family because she was always late for everything. It’s not that she was a terrible time manager; instead, she had trouble tearing herself away from what she was doing, or more precisely, the person she was loving. She saw Christ in each person she met.
My mom embodied the Mary we read about today. She chose the better part and inspires me to do the same.
Prayer
Lord, please help us to remember that the more we complain, the more we limit our ability to see the blessings in our lives. We also ask your blessing on all those whose labor enhances our quality of life. We recall with gratitude the many hundreds or thousands of people involved in the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the transportation we use, the roof over our heads. Our world is utterly filled with Marthas. Please, Jesus, bless them all, and bless their families. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Alexis is a saint who is half-legend, half-man.
Despite his uncertain history, he is depicted in a mural in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart because he is patron of the Pipcus Fathers, who are known as the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Holy Cross priests are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and wanted to encourage as many other examples of that devotion as possible.
We are told that St. Alexis lived in fifth century Syria and took on the life of a beggar. He was known to be of great virtue, and is honored as a saint. This is the most reliable information we have about him.
An early writer told his story with more detail, referring to Alexis simply as “the Man of God.” Legend has it that Alexis was the only son of a wealthy Roman senator, and had every advantage in the ancient world because of this citizenship. He renounced all of this, though, and begged for food at the doors of a church. He shared all of what he received with other poor people, only taking for himself what was left over.
He got sick and was cared for in a hospital, and he told an attendant his life story. When he died, he was buried in a mass grave. His story got passed around the city, and when the bishop heard that he was a Roman citizen, he ordered Alexis’ body exhumed for proper burial. All they found was his ragged clothing. The saint’s supposed Roman heritage led to his popularity. His story and veneration spread because people identified with him and were moved by his example.
St. Alexis, you gave up a life of privilege to live among the poor and care for the forgotten—pray for us!