The

More documents

Recommendations

Info

4 Parish Bulletin RANDOM THOUGHTS Voices from yesterday and today . . . By Peachy Maramba ST. MARTHA (First Century - d.c. 80) Patron of Cooks, Housewives, The Hospitality Industry, Hotel Workers, etc. July 29 Are you a Martha or Mary? Martha and Mary were two sisters of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Their family, apparently one of some importance, was one of a few closest and beloved friends of Jesus mentioned in the Bible. In fact whenever Jesus was in Judea he frequently delighted in being guest in their home in Bethany, a small town two miles from Jerusalem. St. John himself tells us that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus.” From the gospels of Luke (10: 38-42) and John (11-12) we get a clear picture of the characters of these two sisters such that in art and literature, there evolved a Martha type and a Mary type who portray two very different life styles. In religion they typify two kinds of religious devotion - the way of Martha and the way of Mary. Martha Type Of the two sisters we seem to get a more detailed picture of Martha presumably, the elder of the two, who seems to have had the chief care and direction of the household! The Martha type exemplifies the typical devoted, generous, conscientious and hardworking housewife. St. Luke tells us that she was always solicitous and concerned about giving the best possible service and hospitality to her guests especially to a very special guest as Jesus. She therefore serves as an example of the virtue of hospitality. She is always solicitous of and attentive to everyone’s needs. However in her efforts to do this she seeks cooperation and concerted effort and gets vexed when she doesn’t get it. In short she typifies the energetic, practical and positive person. She is the prototype of the very active and possibly activist Christian. Mary Type On the other hand the Mary type contrasts sharply with the active ever practical Martha type. She seems to be the prototype of the reflective, meditative and contemplative person. Appearing more reserved and devout she is more preoccupied with spiritual matters than ordinary house chores. The Need to Prioritize It was during Jesus’ last visit to Jerusalem when the sisters entertained Jesus in their home the last few days before the Passion that the famous incident told by Luke (10:38-42) took place. While Martha was stuck with the chores, Mary sat at the feet of the Lord raptly listening to his every word. Martha, burdened with work, came complaining to Jesus expressing irritation at her sister’s idleness. She said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” While Jesus was very well pleased with the love and devotion with which Martha waited on Him, yet Jesus chided her and softly rebuked Martha for her somewhat overanxious bustling spirit which led her to pay more attention and put more emphasis on worldly matters such as the bodily comfort of her guests than to His message of salvation. So Jesus said, “Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part (which is of the greatest importance, the attendance of the soul on God) and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:42). Jesus added, “Eternal salvation is our only concern.” It seems that of the two areas of life commonly thought of as the practical and the contemplative, Jesus chose as the “better part” the contemplative, reflective and meditative part. It was as if Jesus were endorsing the value of a life of adoration and heavenly contemplation where the heart is wholly taken up in God and united to Him by worship and love over a life of active works that allows no time for thought or prayer as then often the soul is distracted or concerned about worldly cares only. And yet it would not be the “better part” if the practical side of life was not running smoothly. So we actually need to balance and blend the two areas of life. But Jesus is stressing the need to prioritize. While it is good to be busy and to work hard we must always remember that God should always come first taking precedence over all these actions because God is the “only one thing necessary.” He should be our first and foremost priority and eternal salvation our only concern. A Devoted Follower Yet while Mary seems to be the more devout of the two sisters always sitting at our Savior’s feet feeding her soul with heavenly doctrine, it would seem that in the story of the raising of her dead brother Lazarus to life it was Martha who emerges as the more devoted follower and a woman of deep faith. When Jesus finally arrived after Lazarus had already been dead for four days and was in fact already in a tomb and the house was filled with mourners, it was Martha who came running out to greet Him while Mary remained at home (John 11:20). Naturally expressing her regret and disappointment at His not being there to prevent Lazarus’ death nonetheless she expressed great faith that whatever He asked of God, God will give Him. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you” (John 11: 21-22). Because of this act of faith and unbounded trust in the Lord’s divine power, she was the first to hear one of Jesus’ deepest revelation. When Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again Martha thought He meant at the resurrection on the last day. Then Jesus made His startling statement on the continuation of life after death: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” When Jesus asked Martha if she believed this she replied with a magnificent act of Faith when she unhesitatingly answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” So not only did (turn to p. 5)
July 28, 2013 (My Life Transformation... from p.3) towards heaven, while at the same time being grounded on earth, I know there is nothing I can do that will ever take God’s love away from me. This fundamental reality of my life as a Christian helps me understand the suffering, sin and brokenness that earthly existence brings with it. I share this poem by Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet awarded the Nobel Literature Prize in 1913, for it expresses eloquently and beautifully my continuing journey as a child of God committed to the Franciscan way of life: Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield, but to my own strength. Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved, but hope for the patience to win my freedom. Grant that I may not be a coward, (St. Martha... from p.4) she express her belief in what He said but also in His divine mission. By this act did Martha prove that even a practical person like herself could also be deeply involved in things spiritual. According to a Biblical scholar, “Her words are the most profound confession of faith in the entire Gospel of John, comparable to the great confession of Peter in the Synoptic Gospels: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Mt. 16:16, Mark 8: 29 and Luke 9: 20). A Medieval Legend After the Resurrection and our Lord’s Ascension an untrustworthy Provencal legend narrates that the whole family – Martha, Mary and Lazarus were crowded into a boat with 70 other Christians and pushed out to sea. They went to France as missionaries to evangelize Provence. Miraculously landing in Marseilles they preached the Gospel and Lazarus eventually became its first bishop. Martha who wandered around Provence was able to convert many people with her preaching and miracles. feeling Your mercy in my success alone; But let me find the grasp of Your hand in my failure. The great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, in his novel Crime and Punishment, put it so powerfully: Salvation is Sought Through Suffering. I’d like to think that Christians – Catholics, Protestants or those of us – whether Professed Franciscans, Inquirers, Observers - - who have had our lives touched by some type of tragedy, a health crisis like cancer, a loved one dealing with substance abuse/addiction, an estranged child, uncaring parents, an unfaithful spouse, financial difficulty, extreme loneliness, or any other setback can draw strength from the words of this legendary writers, from the life of St. Francis, and most importantly, from the passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The insights and inspirations we gain from reflecting on them can help us cope more meaningfully and spiritually, no matter when and how we receive our own special God-sent “wake-up” calls. Certainly by her words and deeds Martha proved that even a practical person like herself can be deeply involved in the “better part” of spiritual realities. Through the story of her life too we learn the “virtue of order in our homes in our lives and in our souls.” Death When she died in about the year 80 her alleged relics were discovered at Tarascon, France and placed in a magnificent crypt in the church there. Later angels are said to have carried her to the oratory of St. Maximus near Aix-en-Provence. Martha is often portrayed in art as a housewife in homely attire armed with either a broom, basket, ladle or keys. She is the patron of cooks, dietitians, homemakers, hotel workers, lay sisters, and the hospitality industry. SOURCES of REFERENCE: Butler’s Lives of the Saints – Vol. III pp 205 - 206 Butler’s Saint for the Day – pp 352 - 354 Illustrated Lives of the Saints – pp 335 – 336 My First Book of Saints – pp 162 - 163 The Big Book of Women Saints – p 226 Servants of God – pp 60 – 61 And others a glimpse of Reality... “Jesus told him, ‘Return home, your son will live.’” . (Jn.4;49) For as long as I remember, this daughter of mine has been giving me some problems regarding her beliefs and spiritual practice which I find so contrary to the Catholic upbringing I tried very hard to instill in her. Aside from the many prayers and novenas I say for her, I never lacked in reminding her to stick to the strict traditions of the Church in order to be saved. Needless to say, our resulting strained relationship was causing me much distress and endless anxiety over her salvation. Today, the phrase that spoke to me in the John’s gospel was ‘Your son will live ‘. It very clearly told me not to worry so much about my daughter because her life was in God’s hands, and no matter how much I think I love her, could never love her more than the Father does. I was also struck with the awareness that I was the one who had the problem...that I could not accept her the way she was. She was her own self, so different from me and therefore was searching for God in her own way. I realize now that this situation is allowing me to learn more about myself in the light of my relationship with my daughter. Thank you Lord, for making me see your love and mercy in the midst of this turmoil in my life. Please give me the grace to do the right thing that your Will may be done. MONTHLY TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE YEAR OF FAITH ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA TOPIC OF AUGUST: COMMUNION OF SAINTS SUB TOPICS: - Communion of Saints with Mary and the Saints - The dignity of the human person as one called to holiness/ sanctity (eternal communion with God) DOCTRINE: - Mary (Mariology) - Meaning of Mary's Assumption for the Church and all mankind MORAL/VIRTUES: - Human and Christian solidarity - Compassion and generosity - Prayer for the Dead - Communion of Saints - Indulgences and Intercessory Prayers LITURGY: - The cult of the Saints - Marian practices/ devotions SACRAMENTS: - The Eucharist as “Sacrament of Communion” FOLK RELIGIOSITY: - Devotion to Saints - Marian Devotions: Perpetual Help, etc. 5
Page 1 and 2: July 28, 2013 17th Sunday in Ordina
Page 3: July 28, 2013 The ABCs of Catholic
Page 7 and 8: July 28, 2013 CALENDAR OF MINISTRIE

The

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?