The Better Part! (18th July)

A priest asked his class, “Tell me 3 things that you learnt in today’s gospel.” Little Johnny got up and said, “1. Jesus was a big eater; Martha had to cook so much. 2. Mary was lazy & a hopeless helper at the kitchen and 3. Martha and my mom have the same style.” The Christians in India are known for inviting the priests to their houses for all occasions. I had one such chance to visit a poor home. They were from a low-caste and they were delighted once they heard the priest is coming into their home. The man had 3 kids and I took a friend along. I cannot forget the day when we didn’t run out of food but we ran out of plates in that house! The little kid wanted to feed me; the joy on those faces was so great and the memory lasted for long. It’s hard to see a thin priest and they blame in on the people.

Both the 1^st and the 3^rd readings talk about feeding the holy men. In Hinduism the great sages always have earthen vessel in their cotton bag to beg for food. Holy men in early civilizations either lived on their own or begged. People viewed the providing to a holy man is a great spiritual duty and it brings in enormous blessing on the family. In the past many took great care in their hospitality as it could sometime bring a curse from the holy men.

Jesus was a great friend of Martha, Mary and Lazarus and always spent time with them on his way to JRS. The familiarity part is so important to understand and appreciate the personality of Jesus. He was a very loving and simple person. He enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of people. Though many people just see this story as something ordinary lacking in substance, Jesus brings in a central theme of checking our priorities in life.

Initially the 7^th day was made holy and the Jews called it Sabbath. Gradually Christians viewed Sunday as the day of Resurrection thus Sunday became our focus. The concept of rest in Christianity is so commercialized that a great shift took place in no time: from a day when we all can rest in God’s word and recline at the Lord’s feasting table for the sake of spiritual refreshment to one day when we can sleep in and spend time with family. The commercialized word ‘rest’ has a meaning of a body that is trying to survive the demands of our society; religion and church as an added burden to our longing for rest!

I work 6 days a week; I have 5 children; I am divorced; I got exams; my children have sports schedules; Macy’s having a sale; we went to the shore are common reasons directly related to our need for rest and our right to take it from our only primary need to take rest in the Lord. Other reasons are so degrading that I don’t like to mention here! We often have blamed it on God and another 20 years won’t make any difference!

Watch when a Christian says, “No time to pray or get to Church.” He or she is lying. The real reason is; I had more important things to attend to; I did not feel that prayer and mass and even God is 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in my list. Mary was chosen for a better part – she was given a great faith that permanently believes that our rest in God is the only rest that could bring us refreshment, after all Recreation is Re – creation.