Lk 10:38-42 Martha is so Stressed!

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
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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?

I find it interesting how today's Gospel passage is so fitting for today's memorial: Our Lady of the Rosary.

There's so much to do.  Relax.  There will always be a lot to do, and we will never have enough time to do it all, right? 

I don't think there will ever be a time when we don't have anything to do.  In fact, even when we find ourselves unemployed, it's not like we don't have anything to do, we've got plenty to do, like find a job, and that can be very demanding and stressful in and of itself.  We need to learn how to relax our heart, mind, body and soul, and enjoy a peaceful moment. 

So start enjoying your time with the Lord.  It's important that you do.

Last night, I received a phone call from a young person who has a very stressful job.  After a lot of sleepless nights - busting his behind - he got the contract he was dreaming of and the boost in salary he was hoping for.  Unfortunately, for him, and because of all those sleepless nights, he made a big mistake and it might cost him his job. 

He called me freaking out about it.  I told him to relax, to spend time with the Lord, and to begin to appreciate the value he brings to the company and to their clients.  My young friend has a tendency to worry about everything.  I told him, "Stop worrying about everything.  You can't live your life like that.  start valuing the incredible person that you are."

Yes, there's always so much to do.  But we should never feel guilty about spending some time - quality time - in prayer.  Prayer is essential for life and death.  Prayer is to life what the five senses are to our physical world.  It is the door that opens all other doors:  peace, serenity, hope, love, appreciation, gratitude, wonder, innocence, holiness.

How is it possible that Martha did not comprehend the moment she was living, the moment Jesus, the Son of God, entered into her home, sat down and began to speak?  There is only one explanation:  She was oblivious to the moment because she only had one thing in mind.  Her things.

Martha's failure to understand the significance of the moment is an excellent reminder and lesson for us all:  before we get started on something, we should first pray.

Go smell the roses!  I'm not sure what the origin of this expression may be, but it is a cute little reminder of what we all need to do.  "Go smell the roses!" means "Start reflecting on the simple things in life."

But nothing is simple in life, especially when it pertains to our life.  Everything is amazing.  Everyone, every moment, every encounter, every word, every action, every step and every decision is food for thought.

Again, Martha's failure to sit down with the Lord and share in His humanity and divinity left her worried, anxious, and maybe even jealous.  In other words, it left her struggling to find meaning in what she was doing.