Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
July 17, 2016
Gospel: Lk 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was
Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his
feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened (*) with much serving, came to him and
said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the
serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha,
you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
(http://www.usccb.org)
The difficult words
(*) Burdened means overworked and tired.
This week’s spotlight
The seated position
By seating herself at Jesus’ feet, Mary doesn't miss a
word he is saying. She sat down in order to listen carefully. She has
everything to learn and receive from him. We too, during Mass, are seated for
the first readings and for the homily so that we can be particularly attentive
to what is being said. After communion, we can sit down to be more at ease so
that we can think about what we have just received.
The dialogue between the priest and the congregation
Throughout the Mass, there is a dialogue between the
priest and the congregation. A dialogue is like a conversation. The priest
speaks to the people in the name of Christ. The assembled faithful respond to
the priest as they lift their hearts in agreement, participation, and openness
to God. When the people respond “Amen,” for example, they are expressing their
“yes" to everything that the priest has said. This dialogue between the
priest and people is meant to remind us of all prayer, which is a loving
conversation between the soul and God.
Reflection
Two ways to love
Today we hear the story of two sisters, Martha and
Mary. They might remind us of people in our own families. One person, Martha,
seems to do all the work, while another, Mary, doesn’t come to help her. Mary
just sits and enjoys the company. Martha complains to Jesus, but he only gives
the answer that “Mary has chosen the better part.” What does that mean? It
certainly doesn’t mean that there are some people who must do all the work
while others do nothing. It means that love is more important than work. In
fact, as Saint Teresa of Avila says, “Love turns work into rest.” The “better
part” chosen by Mary was the love of Jesus. Although she worked very hard,
Martha forgot that her work needed to be done with love, and so she felt bitter
and sad. Hard work can be a beautiful way of loving, but work without love
becomes a burden. Jesus comes to carry our burdens for us. He wants us to love,
whether at work or at rest.
Discussion questions
1.How does Mary welcome Jesus?
2.What is Martha busy doing?
3.Why does Martha get upset with Mary?
4.Who takes the time to listen to Jesus?
5.What does Jesus tell Martha and Mary?
6. Why is it important to listen to Jesus?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. I am
amazed at all that I receive from you. Help me to see your presence more and
more in my life, and to love you whether I work or play.
This week…
Learn to listen
Take a little time every day to
listen to each person who is on vacation with you. If you pay attention, you
will learn that everyone has something special to share with you. They may help
you to notice the beauty of nature, or to discover anew the joy of loving and
being loved.
Take time to pray
You have extra free time when you’re on vacation. Take
a few minutes each day to pray to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Speak to
them as real persons who love you. You can take a moment after lunch, for
example, to tell God the Father how much you like the beautiful things in
nature that he created.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm