16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C 2025
We are all familiar with this episode in the Gospels, this story of Martha and Mary. We even use Martha and Mary’s names as a way to define our personality. “I like to be an active kind of Christian. I’m more of a Martha type,” we might say. Or perhaps we might say, “I like to spend lots of time in prayer. I’m more of a Mary type.” Many meditations, reflections, and sermons will often focus on these two aspects of being a Christian. We need a healthy balance of the active and contemplative life. We need a balance between work and prayer. Of course, this is a clear theme in this story. And yet, there may be a theme implied and hidden in the background of this Gospel passage. We assume that Martha is frustrated with Mary because she wants help in the kitchen. It isn’t fair that she has to do all the work while her sister gets to visit with Jesus. Why does she have to work while her sister chooses to be lazy? ...