16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Looking for ideas for a parish Justice ministry? Barbara Molinari Quinby offers a weekly feature for her parish in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.”—Luke10: 41
I often wonder how many men who read this passage of Martha and Mary identify with these character types in their own lives. Several years ago, I led a study on Courageous Women of the Bible and only one man expressed an interest in taking the course. I think men would learn a lot about intuition and strength and moral character by studying the biblical heroines. The Martha and Mary characters shown in today’s readings hold attributes that can be found in women and men. In today’s demanding world, anxiety, stress, and prayer time is gender equal.
The rule of St. Benedict, a guide to Christian living for many religious communities, is based on “work and prayer.” Rather than choosing between action and contemplation, perhaps we can follow St. Benedict and infuse work with prayer or pray by means of action. For anyone involved in the work of social justice, prayer must be an integral part of one’s life. The reason is simple. The unjust problems found in society that must be addressed could overwhelm a soul that is adrift from its source of being. Prayer helps one to remember that we are not alone, that we are called to faithfulness, not success, and that we are part of the health (or sickness) of the whole Body.
Jesus is not criticizing Martha in this story as Jesus is always the teacher. In this case, the lesson is that anxiety and worry are blocks to listening and to performing heartfelt service. You might ask yourself if you listen attentively to God, even when you are busy serving? Or, have you ever realized that your heart was not truly in the right place when you have served?
If you want to integrate prayer more into your life, choose one routine task in your day and make it a daily prayer, thereby opening the everyday to the presence of God. You can also explore Franciscan Father Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation at Email Sign-Up — Center for Action and Contemplation and sign up for daily meditations. Gather a group of friends to listen and discuss Father Rohr’s podcasts. We have a welcoming Lectio Divina prayer group coordinated by Anne Werdel that meets by Zoom on Tuesdays at 5 PM and lots of opportunities for acts of social justice.
The goal is to weave your life into a seamless whole of action and prayer, to become both Martha and Mary.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC