In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers the importance of listening in the midst of a busy world, and the difference this can make to our lives.
Tuesday of 27th week of Ordinary Time [Our Lady of the Rosary]
Readings: Jonah 3.1-10; Luke 10.38-42
In our increasingly frenetic, busy and non-stop world, it can be incredibly difficult to find the space to listen to what really matters. The importance of being able to do this is outlined, in different ways, in our readings today. In the passage from Jonah, we pick up the story after the title character has survived being swallowed by the fish (and being vomited out!). Having failed to run away from the mission God had given him, Jonah finally makes his way to Nineveh and preaches repentance to the people. Then, we are told, a remarkable thing happens: they listen to God’s message, and change their ways. “Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands”, the king commands. This they do, and sure enough God spares them from disaster and ruin.
Our Gospel today is the charming story of the sisters Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus into their home. Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching, while Martha is busy entertaining her guests. Martha complains to Jesus about her sister, and asks him to tell her to lend a hand. Jesus seems to side with Mary, and many commentators have seen this as implying that the contemplative life is superior to the active. However, there need not be quite such a stark divide between the approach of the sisters. For Mary, in that moment, listening to Jesus was the right thing for her to be doing – after all, it’s not every day that the Son of God comes to your home. Indeed, other commentators have said that both Mary and Jesus were enabling something radical to happen – it was unusual in their day for a woman to sit at a rabbi’s feet to learn from him. The active side of Christian discipleship is not being denigrated; but surely it must start with the approach of Mary, of making time to sit and listen to the Lord. It’s that which prompts us to action. If we don’t listen first, then our actions will simply be adding to the frenetic busyness of the world. Listening to God is important, but it should lead to something. Like the people of Nineveh, it might prompt us to change our life in some way. Or we might sense that God is wanting us to do something in his sevice. Let us make that space to listen to him, and then have the courage to act.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 