One Thing Necessary

Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time C-2

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Est 4:17 Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all.

Collect Almighty ever‑living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever

Scripture today: Galatians 1:13-24; Psalm 138; Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me! Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)

One Thing Necessary I was recently listening to a parish teacher of religion in a local state primary school — she has a class of children once a week — and she made an interesting remark. She said that if the children of a class are always very good, the class is boring for her. She relished some difficulty, as that difficulty forced her to strive to give her best to the work. Consider the most interesting biographies or novels. Generally they portray some grand and difficult undertaking, calling for the best efforts in the protagonists who are involved in the drama. It could be some family saga, struggling against difficulties in the generations of the family, and finally overcoming or being overcome. One of the National Days of Australia is Anzac Day, commemorating all those fallen in war. Anzac Day was originally the commemoration of a military defeat, when the Australians attacked and were defeated by the defending Turks at Gallipoli. It was the drama and heroism of struggle that was celebrated — and the Day now celebrates all who give their lives in defence of their country at war. Great movies have been made of outstanding singers such as Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), brilliant musical composers such as Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (1810–1849), and numerous others from various walks of life. What makes their lives enthralling is the struggle to reach the heights of achievement. Now, what this intimates is that it is work and struggle that gives to life its grandeur, its heroism and its satisfaction. A life of ease will not bring happiness and fulfilment — this we sense even naturally, without any recourse to Revelation. Granted this, the great question is, however, what am I to dedicate my best energies to? There is the story of the fast moving passenger vehicle, and the passengers heard an announcement by the driver which said that they were making extremely good time, but that he had no idea where he was going. They were scarcely reassured. Life is too short to be frittered away. On all hands it is agreed that life ought be filled with dedication, but the question is, dedication to what?

Our Gospel passage today (Luke 10:38-42) gives us the gentle scene of Christ being received into the home of Martha and Mary, the sisters of the Lazarus whom our Lord would raise from the dead not long before his own death and resurrection. There he sits, and Mary is at his feet listening with wrapt attention to his words. Imagine being in that situation! Imagine gazing on the face of Jesus Christ, Lord, God and Redeemer of the world, fount of all knowledge and wisdom, image of the Father! He speaks with unutterable simplicity and wisdom, filling the soul of Mary with light and love. Her sister Martha, so much in love for Jesus Christ, filled with faith in his person and prerogatives (as we read on the occasion of the raising of her brother Lazarus), is attending to the business of hospitality for her beloved Master. Martha would in due course be celebrated every year as a saint of the Church. But she is irritated at the sight of her sister who is oblivious of what needs to be done — and perhaps there were some of the Twelve around to be prepared for too. So she boldly comes to our Lord and asks him to get her sister moving. Ah! That is not what our Lord himself wishes at that point. Indeed, he makes a memorable point that was duly noted by the assiduous Luke, a point to be borne in mind by all of Christ’s busy disciples. All must guard their hearts and direct them to the one thing necessary. The one thing necessary is to do God’s will. Elsewhere our Lord had summarized that command — it was to love God with all one’s heart, and one’s neighbour as oneself. The one thing necessary is to keep the gaze of the heart on Jesus Christ, to hear his word with attention, and to put it into practice. It is simply said, but enormous in difficulty. Personal sanctity is the greatest of all human undertakings. The pursuit of holiness is the one thing necessary, and there is but limited time to attain it. The goal ought be to attain it that very day — because we cannot count on tomorrow. Everything we do ought be what God wants us to do, and done with as much love for God as our heart can attain. That is the work of today, and tomorrow and each day. It is the one thing necessary, and it is a mighty work.

The drama of life is the drama of attaining to the goodness God plans for us. We can be good or bad. The former requires that we enter by the narrow door, the latter is the broad way that lead to destruction. Life and death are the ominous alternatives, and we must just seek the one thing necessary. Let us stop, truly stop, and ponder what we wish it to be. We must ponder the goal of life, and not just keep speeding ahead, without considering the one thing necessary. The one thing necessary is that we love, serve and obey God in Jesus Christ, and extricate our hearts from all that takes us away from him. This is attained in the ordinary duties of every day.

(E.J.Tyler)

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A Second Reflection: (Luke 10:38-42)

The One Thing Necessary What a beautiful scene we have described to us in Luke 10: 38-42! Our Lord, our God and Creator, is welcomed into the house of Martha and Mary. There he sits talking with them, he their God and they his creatures! He talks to them as friends. We have Martha even complaining to him about the way he tolerates the inaction of her sister. It is a manifestation of the Incarnation, of God becoming flesh and making his dwelling among men. It shows forth the wonderful accessibility and approachability of God our Creator. God is revealed as One we can approach very simply and with confidence, One who honours us by wanting our friendship. Indeed, our Lord makes it clear in this scene that this is the one thing necessary — that we approach him and sit at his feet listening as did Mary to his word. Martha was worrying and fretting "about so many things, yet few are needed, indeed only one." She was allowing her service of the Lord to distract her heart from the one thing necessary.

Let us relish the presence and the friendship of God in all that we do for him. In all our service of him, let us make him the object of our heart's desire.

(E.J.Tyler)

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