16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Martha had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Lk 10:38-42

EXEGESIS

Jesus entered a village.
This is probably Bethany.

Where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary.
Not mentioned here is their brother Lazarus whom Jesus loved dearly.

(Mary) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
This is the posture of the disciple. What is unusual here is for a woman to be sitting down listening to a rabbi. This was for men. In the gospel of Luke, woman are on equal footing with men.

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?"
I sense self-pity here and 'tampo' as well.

Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.
Listening to God's Word (not just his words) is the better part.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

She had a sister named Marywho sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him.

We might be so taken up with life’s concerns (which are valid, by the way) that there is no time to listen neither to God nor to our loved ones. We are asked to re-structure our life so that time is given to God and to our loved ones.

Some suggestions regarding listening to God:
1. Buy a bible or even just NT for starters. I suggest the New American Bible or Today’s English Version (Good News for Modern Man). Find 10 minutes to read the bible. The 10 minutes should be at the same time every day.
2. If you have an MP3 player download a guided meditation on the Word of God from Monday to Friday. Get it from the site named: Pray as you go. Use google to get to the site.
3. If you have a PDA, you may download the text to help you reflect on the Word of God. The reflection covers the entire week, from Monday to Sunday. Get it from the site named: Sacred Space. Again, use google to get to the site.

Some suggestion regarding to listening to your loved ones.
1. The late media man (Bautista) said that once a week after supper, there is the family time when everyone can say what he wants to say or ask.
2. Stephen Covey sets aside an hour every week for a child.
3. For spouses, set a date. Your children are not welcome to that date.

Lord, do you not care.

Is it bad to complain to God? No. No. No. Complaining to God might be a sign of openness. If that is so, then complaining to God might be a sign of trust. It means you are not afraid to tell God how you feel because you know God will not take revenge on you.

St. Teresa of Avila was upset that she couldn’t get across the swollen river. She was on her way for an official visit to one of her convents. And she told God what she felt in no uncertain terms. God replied by saying that was the way he treated his friends. St. Teresa was quick to reply: “Now I understand why you have so few friends.”

However, if all you do is complain, that might be sign also that there is some-thing wrong with you.

Tell her to help me.

Sometimes we may find ourselves dictating to God what he should do. For heaven’s sake, the Lord knows what he is doing. If I were God, I would tell those who are telling me what to do: “Ano ba! Mas marunong ka pa sa akin!” (What’s wrong with you. It’s as if you know better than me.”)

There are times when we tell every body about our complaint except the person concerned. What Martha should have done is to tell Mary, “Please help me. Kulang ang katawan ko sa paghahanda ng kakanin ng ating mga bisita.” (Literally, my one body is not enough to prepare the meal for our guests.)

Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

Lest we misunderstand Jesus, we have to state what Jesus did not mean and what he meant.

Jesus did not mean that Martha should stop preparing the meal. This was a teaching moment. And Jesus just took advantage of that moment to highlight the importance of listening to him. And because listening to him is important, we have to give time to it.


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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.