Sunday July 20th
THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Luke 10: 38-42 Sunday 20th July 2025
BETWEEN MARTHA AND MARY: THE SPACE FOR GOD
In the Gospel today we have the story of Mary and Martha. Our lord admonishes Martha as she was worried and anxious about many things. He commended Mary and said that she had chosen the better part, and that would not be taken away from her. What did our lord mean by this? Did He chide her for her selfless service and dedication? Absolutely not. He is inviting Martha to put her trust and confidence in Him, to entrust into his providential and loving heart all that she is going through. He is inviting and exhorting her to cast all her burdens onto Him for He cares about her.
It`s a radical and loving call to TRUST Him, and to entrust all her worries and cares into His hands. He also teaches Martha, that when she grows in trust she will find peace, consolation and strength in all that she goes through. She will not fall into the perils of anxiety, worry and tension. She will know that there is nothing to fear as our Lord Jesus is near. Hence, He says that Mary has chosen the better part and that it will not be taken away from her.
In Mary we see and experience what it means to trust the lord. She stood there at the foot of the cross. She stood there when the world around her was collapsing. She stood her ground. Her faith and trust transformed her sight into insight and meaning during suffering, pain and death of her son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Martha`s hospitality was good, truly good. But May`s deep attentiveness revealed something even more profound: that God desires not just our work, not just our effort, but our wonder. He longs for our loving adoration and our undivided presence. The Gospel doesn`t pit Martha against Mary as if one is right and the other is wrong. No. Instead, Jesus is gently inviting Martha- and inviting us- to pause and ask ourselves: In all our daily activity, are we truly making room for God`s presence?
We are called to make the right choices. Any choice that pulls us away from God, instead of drawing us closer, puts our spiritual life at risk. That`s not choosing the “good portion”. When we choose the good portion- the part that brings us closer to God- we find fulfilment in everything we do. Look at your life today: Here`s the question for each of us: Are we making space- not just in our homes, but in our hearts- for God to come in?.