Mary in a Martha World

From an early age we are taught to stay busy. Whether it is ‘morning work’ before school is even in session, or ‘working lunches’ looking for that promotion, taking a few moments for our soul is often the last thing on our minds every day. Today that changes.

Today is the day we allow the Gospel message to take root in our heart. Today is the day we stop thinking that busy is better. Today is the day we turn to God and sit at his feet and listen to His word. Today is the day we stop being like Martha.

At that time, Jesus entered a village; and a woman called Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve you alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28

This Gospel passage is read at every feast of the Theotokos. Today’s feast is the first Great Feast of the Church calendar and ‘sets the tone’ of our New Year. Rather than worrying about the tasks we have to keep us busy. We can choose the “good portion” and listen to God.

Today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, the birth of the birth giver. Without the Theotokos we have no savior. We have no way for us to unite to God through baptism and Holy Communion. She is the most important woman ever born. She is our mother.

It is a good day to reorient our priorities toward God to honor our mother. Think of all those times your earthly mother said, “I just want you to get along,” when you ask her what she wanted for her birthday. Well…this is our chance to honor the Theotokos on her birthday.

It isn’t just ‘getting along’ that she wants. She wants us to sit “at the Lord’s feet and listen to His teaching.” This is the “good portion” that Mary (not the Virgin Mary) chose while her sister Martha was “anxious and troubled about many things.”

Be honest with yourself today. In what ways are you Martha instead of Mary. How often do you skip your prayers to get things done? How often do you miss divine services in the Church to get things done? If getting things done was so important, why is it we’re never finished?

The answer is simple. The devil distracts us with busyness that we can’t see clearly. We think once we finished our ‘to do list’ we can find time to pray. I have news for you. If you are waiting to finish the list, you will never pray. You must MAKE time to pray, not find time.

You must ‘sit at the Lord’s feet’ and listen to His Word more than ‘when time allows’ you. Time will never allow. There will never be enough time to get things done AND pray. You must MAKE the time. Today’s the day.

Most parishes have divine services on Feasts, especially this feast. Even if you don’t (or didn’t) go to Church today, MAKE the time to sit at your prayer corner and listen to God’s word. Light your candle and incense. Open your prayer book and Bible. Just sit with God.

The ‘things’ will be waiting for you, trust me. The dishes will still need cleaning. The laundry will still need folding. The project at work will still need working. Nothing will fall apart because you MAKE time to sit with God and listen to His Word.

Today is the day you become a “Mary in a Martha World”. It doesn’t mean never working. It does mean keeping work in its proper perspective. We work to provide food, clothing and shelter for our family. All the food in the world is useless without God.

Today’s the day!