The Feast of St Francis of Assisi | Tuesday 4 October 2022
Today is Tuesday the 4th of October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, in the 27th week of Ordinary Time.
As One Hope Project sings, ‘Come Close’, take a moment to draw close to the Lord. How is the Lord looking upon you today?
Come close
My heart is ready
Come close
My heart is here
Draw near I’m longing for You
Draw near
My love
All I’ve ever wanted
All I’ve ever wanted
All I’ve ever wanted is found in You
This moment is ours
I won’t rush away
Jesus
Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 10:38-42
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.’
By sitting at Jesus’s feet, Mary is taking the role of a disciple, a role understood then to be only for men. Martha thinks Mary’s place is in the kitchen, helping her. How do you experience Jesus’ interaction with these two women in this passage?
Mary’s form of hospitality is attentive and focused, whatever she is doing; Martha’s is anxious and distracted and agitated, even though making a meal is objectively kind. What do you think is the message of this story?
How is Jesus addressing Martha here? Listen again and this time, see if you can hear the tone in which all the words are said . . .
As we end this time of prayer, use your imagination to explore what happens later that day between Jesus and Martha . . . what unfolds in your mind?
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.