July 16, 2010
The Second Half
Martha’s faith
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
Cousin Callie from Florida called yesterday. She and her husband Ray, who are now both in their 80s, were somewhere in Georgia and they were headed our way. Since they plan to make several stops before arriving, they will “be here when they get here.” We are thankful Callie’s advance notice will give us time to prepare. We really enjoy having company but, like Martha in this Sunday’s gospel, we know how much has to be done before we can welcome people into our home.
Two thousand years ago the message Jesus seemed to give poor, harried Martha was that she should relax and enjoy the company. We couldn’t agree more, but something in the story seems to have been overlooked. What if we have misjudged Martha? The common assumption has been because Mary dropped everything to listen to Jesus, she had the deeper faith. What if the difference between the two women wasn’t one of depth of faith, but of expression of faith? Perhaps both women were faithful, but struggled just as we do with finding a balance between spiritual and physical realities.
One kitchen worker who knew how to balance both wasn’t a woman at all. Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived in the 1600s, spent his life scrubbing pots and pans and mending sandals. He said, “(We) invent methods of coming at God’s love… Yet, it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?” Brother Lawrence also said, “I began to live as if there were no one save God and me in the world.” Whether he was scrubbing pots or mending the broken, dirty sandals of his fellow monks, Brother Lawrence did so continually in the presence of God. In this way, his life of work also became his life of prayer.
In our small town we’ve met many farmers who seem to understand very well how the line between work and prayer blends. This past spring we listened as a farmer spoke with reverence about the birth of lambs and calves. For him, all of his life is holy work. Father Richard Rohr must have been thinking of how action and prayer become one when he named his retreat center “The Center for Action and Contemplation.” When someone asked which was more important, he said the most important word is “and.” Both are necessary.
Jim happened to drive past church last Saturday morning and noticed a small crowd of women milling around outside the door. Kitchen volunteers had arrived early to prepare for a funeral luncheon. Someone had forgotten to unlock the door. Ladies with casseroles, women ready to set tables and make sandwiches couldn’t get in to serve. Perhaps a “Mary,” lost in thought, had forgotten the workers needed to get in. Mary held the key, but the workers held the hospitality.
Martha may have extended her invitation to Jesus on the spur of the moment. Maybe there had been no time to prepare for his visit. Company can best be enjoyed if clutter has been put away and everything has been made fresh and food is prepared ahead of time. Vacation Bible School volunteers, church cleaners and funeral luncheon ladies realize Mary had her priorities straight. However, if anyone wants supper, we need Martha in the kitchen.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.