Today’s Scripture Readings

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Jesus gently but firmly chides Martha, pointing out that in her worry and distraction she has missed what is truly essential. Martha is anxious to offer hospitality and to carry out her duties. To her, these seem both necessary and pressing. Yet she is in the presence of the Lord, invited to share in a precious and holy moment! Jesus breaks through her distraction and calls her to be attentive to Him.

We too live in an anxious and overly busy world. All too often we occupy ourselves with the various duties and distractions that press upon us. Yet in doing so, we can fail to be attentive to the holy. On this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we are reminded of the importance of taking time to recognise Christ’s presence in our lives, especially by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary – which is to say, the mystery of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

We all have ‘many tasks’ to attend to. This would have been no less true for Mary than it was for Martha. But here, let us follow Mary’s example and sit at the feet of the Lord, at least for a time. As we take up the Rosary beads in our hands and pray, we are invited to hold the mysteries in our minds and delve into their spiritual depths. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us and with us. May we truly learn to still our minds and bodies and so be attentive to your Son.