In today’s Gospel, Martha, busy serving and fretting, loses sight of just who it is she has welcomed into her home. In light of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, I wish to explore a subtle connection between Luke 10:38-42 and the Eucharist — although when we come to Mass, it is Jesus welcoming us into His home! Many of us come to Mass so busy and distracted with many things that we halfheartedly go through the motions of Mass, forgetting Who we are so privileged to receive in the Eucharist.
Jesus has come to visit the family in Bethany and share fellowship and a meal. At Mass, we come to Jesus’ house to visit and, yes, share a meal. Gratefully, Jesus is never too busy to welcome us in! We, like Martha, may approach our visit with Jesus frenzied, anxious, and worried about many things—work, home, or family. Perhaps we, too, are aggravated with a loved one we think should be helping us out somehow.
Jesus’ words to Martha that “there is need of only one thing” should refocus our attention to what is truly important, especially as we prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus to “enter under our roof.” Like Mary, our eyes should remember Who is before us. Sitting at His feet fills us with all the blessings and graces necessary for whatever lies ahead. Whether we face days of strife, hardship, or smooth sailing, it is inconsequential if we’ve not made developing a relationship with Christ our number one priority.
I remember a time in my life when I attended Mass with more of a Martha than a Mary mindset. I would grab a bulletin on my way into the church. During the Mass readings, I would daydream, running the week’s chores and tasks through my mind. During the homily, I would doodle my to-do list in the margins of the bulletin. My mind would wander again during the Consecration, unaware of the supernatural, glorious, awe-inspiring event happening upon the altar before me. The moment heaven and earth mystically collide—the humble substance of bread and wine became an even more humble substance of my Lord and Savior. Then I complained that I never “get anything out of” Mass.
Of course, I didn’t. Like Martha, I’d let the world cloud my vision and keep me from the one thing needed—the better part. Praise God, like Mary, it was not to be taken from me. Eventually, as I learned more about the Catholic faith and the beauty and magnificence of the Sacred Liturgy, I allowed myself to be fully present for all Jesus had for me in those moments.
In the words of St. Paul, the better part exists in “the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones…” Most significantly, in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
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