Mass Reading & Meditation for July 29, 2013 + Saint of the Day Memorial of Saint Martha Reading 1EX 32:15-24, 30-34 Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back; tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself. Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.” But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory, nor does it sound like cries of defeat; the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.” As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain. Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink. Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?” Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry. You know well enough how prone the people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.” On the next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. I will go up to the LORD, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Responsorial PsalmPS 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 R. (1a) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image; They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock. R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea. R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Then he spoke of exterminating them, but Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breach to turn back his destructive wrath. R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. GospelJN 11:19-27 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “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.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Meditation: John 11:19-27 Saint Martha “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him.” (John 11:20) Martha often gets the short end of the stick, doesn’t she? When you think of her, most likely the first thing that comes to mind is how she fussed over preparations for Jesus and missed the “better part” that her sister had chosen, sitting at Jesus’ feet. Everyone wants to be a “Mary” and not a “Martha.” But when Jesus comes to their house after the death of her brother, it’s Martha, not Mary, who goes out to meet him. Does she go to remonstrate with Jesus? Maybe. She does say that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would never have died. But she goes farther. She tells Jesus that she believes that God will do whatever he asks. In the end, she makes one of the most profound professions of faith in the Gospels: “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world” (John 11:27). Mary and Martha traditionally represent the contemplative and the active lives of faith. Martha is a woman of action. She may not stay still, but that doesn’t keep her from a deep relationship with Jesus. The same Holy Spirit who worked in Mary also worked in Martha, developing holiness in both of them according to their own personalities. In order to love God, Martha didn’t have to become a “Mary.” She just had to use her gifts for his glory. Sometimes we can think that one path of holiness is better than another. But the beauty of the communion of the saints is that we see countless unique personalities bearing fruit for the kingdom of God! In fact, it’s the beauty of parish life as well: each of us in our own way witnessing to the power of the Risen Lord. So if you feel compelled to go out and feed the poor—great! But don’t write off the quiet person spending hours in Eucharistic adoration. Or if you’re committed to defending the right to life, keep on working! But don’t look down on others who use their energy to lead the children’s liturgy or clean the church. We are all essential parts in the body of Christ! “Father, thank you for giving me a calling that is fitted to my own gifts and personality!” Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34; Psalm 106:19-23 St. Martha Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus were evidently close friends of Jesus. He came to their home simply as a welcomed guest, rather than as one celebrating the conversion of a sinner like Zacchaeus or one unceremoniously received by a suspicious Pharisee. The sisters feel free to call on Jesus at their brother’s death, even though a return to Judea at that time seems almost certain death. No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion (see Luke 10:38-42) she prepares the meal for Jesus and possibly his fellow guests and forthrightly states the obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner. Yet, as biblical scholar Father John McKenzie points out, she need not be rated as an “unrecollected activist.” The evangelist is emphasizing what our Lord said on several occasions about the primacy of the spiritual: “...[D]o not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear…. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:25b, 33a); “One does not live by bread alone” (Luke 4:4b); “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6a). Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus told her, ‘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. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25-27). Comment: Scripture commentators point out that in writing his account of the raising of Lazarus, St. John intends that we should see Martha’s words to Mary before tLazarus was raised as a summons that every Christian must obey. In her saying “The teacher is here and is asking for you,” Jesus is calling every one of us to resurrection—now in baptismal faith, forever in sharing his victory over death. And all of us, as well as these three friends, are in our own unique way called to special friendship with him. Quote: “Encouraged by so great a cloud of witnesses, we may run as victors in the race before us and win with them the imperishable crown of glory through Christ our Lord" (Roman Missal, Preface of Saints I). Patron Saint of: Housewives Waiters, waitresses -- Have a Blessed Day
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 14:25:22 +0000
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