It dawned on me today that Christ did not correct Martha because she was making the dinner or getting the wine, or setting the table. No.
He corrected her because she was not listening. Martha was in a bubble world of busyness. She had created that bubble. Her bubble stopped her from hearing Christ. She preferred her bubble world to the reality of The Son of God. Her bubble insulated her from listening to whatever was outside. Her mind was talking, talking, talking about food, dishes, wine, water...whatever while the God of Gods was sitting in her living room.
One can listen while one is doing chores. The beauty of the Benedictine life is such that prayer continues into work, as work is done, if it is done as it should be, in silence.
Mary was silent in her interior life. Her mind and heart were not "busy". She knew how to quiet herself in order to hear God.
She waited to hear Christ. Martha could have been listening while she was DOING. One can learn to do this. One can teach one's self and ask God for the grace to hear Him all day long. To be in His Presence is the shock of the real...........
But, apparently, Martha was not "in the presence of Christ". Her mind and heart and soul were full of anxiety and fretting. She became angry and frustrated because Mary was listening to Christ. Oh my....!
That is why Christ corrected her.
One of my Benedictine mentors wrote something apropos my comments on silence.
Talking most of the day creates a bubble in the mind and around the soul which separates one from reality.
He noted that silence and reflection are absolutely necessary for both discernment and problem solving.
He went on to emphasize that silence is necessary for salvation.
Wow.
False wisdom, false sense of superiority, fantasy and escapism form the soul and these things abound in talk, talk, talk.
We do not face ourselves or the reality of others is speech.
I have seen that conversation which bears fruit involves silence and thinking skills, as well as prayer.
We interfere with our capacity to find salvation if we talk too much or listen to talking too much.
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| Thanks to Orthowiki |
Women need more conversation than men, but that need can be exaggerated. In stillness, we can solve many problems. Martha had to learn how to slow down, even stop, and listen to God.
God wants to enter into our hearts, minds and souls, but He can not if we are always listening to something or someone, or talking.
God will not interrupt us, unless by illness or even death. Seriously, we sometimes need the shock of the real in order to hear God.
How sad. How very unnecessary. We could be listening all day long in the solitude of our minds and hearts. If we do not learn how to do this, we may lose our very souls.
Here is the Orthodox prayers for the feast of Martha and Mary in the summer. Mary had the gift of wisdom and Martha learned, but Christ had to correct her. We hear that correction down to this present day.
Let us not pass up God because our minds and hearts and souls are too full of busyness.
Calm down, take a deep breath, trust in God, and wait in silence for the coming of Christ this Lent.
Be not shocked by the real. "Be real and face the situation", as a friend of mine use to say a long time ago. He is now a priest.
Troparion (Tone 3)
- You fervently believed in Christ and His marvelous acts,
- O Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus.
- You were adorned with radiant virtues
- and were found worthy to be numbered with the saints;
- together with holy Lazarus pray to God for us.
Apolytikion (Tone 3)
- Since ye believed in Christ with strong and ardent faith,
- and ever worshipped His divine and mighty deeds,
- ye both adorned yourselves with all the splendour of sacred virtues.
- With your holy brother now,
- ye are also vouchsafed to dwell with the ranks of Saints on high,
- O ye sisters of Lazarus;
- and with him, O wise Mary and Martha,
- ye pray for us all unto the Master.
Kontakion (Tone 3)
- In the town of Bethany, ye dwelt of old;
- now in Heaven ye abide in Paradise,
- where our Lord's countenance shineth.
- For ye gave your hearts and souls up with fervent longing
- unto Him that is the Life and the Resurrection;
- as ye stand on high, O Mary and Martha,
- pray Him to grant salvation to us.