Mary has chosen the better part
I sometimes feel sorry for Martha. She was the elder sister and the mistress of the home. We can guess that from the opening line of today's gospel: "Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him." As such she felt more obliged to play the role of the host. She too would have wanted to listen to the sweet words from the mouth of her Lord. She too perhaps was tired with the duties of serving. We do not know what she felt when she was told: “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.” It would have been tempting for a sulkier person to say: "Very well, let me also leave the serving and make the better option of coming to listen, and see if there will be anything to eat".
Yet it is not difficult to see the wisdom of what Jesus told to Martha. You probably have also had my experience of visiting a friendly family and discovering that your guest and friend spends much of the time 'fixing you a meal, when sometimes you don't even have much appetite. You would have preferred having quality time with the friend or friends, to a full stomach.
The great lesson particularly for those engaged in the service of the Lord is that we find quality time in his presence and make that the springboard of our pastoral activities. Serving the Lord in all sorts of activities is an important and indispensable part. But it must be based on listening to him in prayer, or else it risks becoming tantamount to making big strides in the wrong direction.
