Reflection for July 20, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 10:38-42

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”  

The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” 

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Reflection: 

What does habitual prayer do to your soul? What does daily Bible reading awaken in your heart? What does your consistent presence at the celebration of the Holy Mass nurture within you? These sacred actions, when done with love and piety, draw us gently and deeply into the embrace of Jesus. 

In today’s gospel, our hearts are invited to reflect on the actions of Mary and Martha, with Jesus at the center of it all. 

When Mary recognized her Lord and Savior, she simply sat at His feet, quietly listening to His wisdom-filled and life-changing words. This is what we do when we pray. This is what we do when we open the Bible and allow its words to speak to us. This is what we do when we reverently worship Jesus in the Holy Mass. 

Jesus cherished Mary’s reverence and stillness because, in that quiet listening, she grew closer to Him. And this is what Jesus desires for each of us: to draw near to Him, to sit at His feet, and to listen. 

What happens when we allow ourselves to be close to Jesus? We begin to see that life in this world is fleeting and temporary. We realize that all the wealth and accolades we chase are nothing compared to the treasure of being with Him. 

His presence opens our eyes to the countless blessings we receive when we choose to spend time with Him. It softens our hearts, teaching us to live with compassion and to share our lives generously, especially with those in need. 

And what about Martha? She did nothing wrong. Her service was for Jesus, yet she missed the opportunity to first sit with Him and let His words nourish her soul. It would have taken only a few moments, yet it would have made all the difference in her heart. 

As we continue this temporary journey, the world will keep pulling us into busyness, into the endless rush for survival, into a rat race that slowly and deceitfully tries to separate us from Jesus. 

We must not allow this. For what good will it do us if we gain the world yet lose our closeness with God? Let us choose to listen to Jesus first before we plunge into the demands of the day. For it is in listening to Him first that we gain the true wisdom and peace that this world can never give, no matter how hard we work. 

Do you always take time to listen first to the Lord? Let us never be too busy for Jesus, for in Him, we find the true rest and love our hearts deeply long for. – Marino J. Dasmarinas