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Christian Art | Martha And Mary

Luke 10: 38-42 | Week 27 Ordinary Time, Tuesday (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)

38 ¶ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Jesus’ journey has taken him to Bethany, the village where Lazarus, Martha and Mary live. There is clearly a feast happening. So often we find Jesus’ ministry associated with great banqueting, on what must have been quite a lavish scale, considering the milieu, the poverty suffered by many in the Holy Land. The story that follows has a similar shape to one of Jesus’ parables, but this is a real event in the life of our Lord. There is a certain contrast between the doings of Martha and Mary, which have symbolic significance, in ways which might seem initially counter-intuitive.

Martha is busy with the task of serving the company. Martha is doing the work, without which the people present might not eat. It might strike us as perfectly reasonably that she would like some help from her sister. It is as if her task is becoming too much for her. She has become distracted, or ‘cumbered’, so much so that she has come to think Jesus does not care about her difficult situation.

Jesus asks Martha not to be so troubled. He points to a confusion of priorities, whereby the one thing necessary is to sit at Jesus’ feet and to listen to Jesus’ words. Of course, we might think, if Martha were to do this also, then none should eat!

It is an illustrative scene, alerting us to the need for balance and good orientation in our life, including our work life. Work without good spiritual direction becomes cumbersome, distracting us away from good communion with Jesus. Our focal point is devotion and prayer, our engagement and relationship with the person of Jesus. Through this, work is sanctified, as is the wholeness of life. When we find we become distracted with what can seem an excess of work, then is the time to pause and pray.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty God,
who revealed to Peter your plan for the salvation of all humanity,
grant that our work may be acceptable to you,
and that, by your grace, it may further your loving purpose of redemption.
Through Christ our Lord.

Audio Bible KJV | Endnotes

To Work Is To Pray | Laborare Est Orare

The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 offers a powerful lesson on the importance of balancing our daily activities with prayer and contemplation. Martha, the busy sister, was ‘cumbered about much serving’, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to Jesus’ words. When Martha complained to Jesus about Mary’s lack of help, Jesus gently rebuked her, saying: ‘Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’

This passage highlights the importance of prioritizing our spiritual life over our daily duties. We are called to serve God through our work, but we must also take time to sit at His feet and listen to His voice. As the monk and theologian Thomas Merton once said: ‘It is not a matter of doing something special for God, but of doing everything for Him.’ In other words, every task, no matter how menial, can be an act of worship if we offer it to God with the right intention.

One of the key ways we can cultivate a spirit of prayer in our daily lives is by developing a habit of mindfulness. This means being present in the moment, fully engaged with the task at hand, and open to the presence of God. As the 17^th Century French mystic Brother Lawrence wrote: ‘We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.’

Another important aspect of prayerful work is the idea of offering up our struggles and sufferings to God. This is exemplified in the concept of ‘redemptive suffering’, which teaches that our trials and difficulties can be transformed into opportunities for spiritual growth and union with God. As the apostle Paul wrote: ‘I glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’ (Romans 5:3-5)

In Catholicism, the concept of ‘opus Dei,’ or ‘the work of God,’ is central to the idea of integrating prayer and work. This is based on the Benedictine motto ‘ora et labora’ or ‘pray and work’, which emphasizes the importance of balancing contemplative prayer with active service. As Saint Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, once said: ‘To work is to pray. To study is to pray. To smile is to pray. To walk is to pray. To love is to pray. To serve is to pray. Every act of our daily life is a prayer when it is done with the right intention and directed to the glory of God.’

In Protestantism, the concept of ‘vocation’ plays a similar role in integrating faith and work. Protestant Reformer Martin Luther said: ‘The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.’ This idea of doing our work with excellence and integrity as an act of service to God is echoed in the apostle Saint Paul’s exhortation to ‘do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world’ (Philippians 2:14-15).

The idea of integrating prayer and work is not limited to Catholic or Protestant traditions but is a universal call for all Christians. In fact, the Eastern Orthodox Church has a tradition of the ‘Jesus Prayer’, a short prayer repeated continuously throughout the day, which is meant to bring a person into a constant state of prayer and mindfulness. This practice can be applied to any task or situation, reminding us to offer our work and thoughts to God throughout the day.

What Is The Jesus Prayer?

The Jesus Prayer is a prayer used in the Eastern Orthodox tradition and is also popular in other Christian traditions, including the Catholic and Anglican churches. The prayer is very simple: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ The prayer is based on the story of the blind man in Luke 18:38, who cried out to Jesus: ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

The Jesus Prayer is often repeated continuously throughout the day, as a way of centering oneself on Christ and seeking His mercy and guidance. The prayer can be used as a way of cultivating a constant awareness of God’s presence, and a way of offering all of one’s thoughts and actions to God throughout the day.

In the Orthodox tradition, the Jesus Prayer is also used as a form of ‘hesychasm,’ which is a method of prayer that involves stillness and quietude, often practiced in conjunction with contemplative prayer and meditation. The goal of hesychasm is to quiet the mind and heart in order to experience the presence of God in a deep and transformative way.

 What Is The Jesus Prayer In Greek?

The Jesus Prayer in Greek is: ‘Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν.’ This is the original version of the prayer in Greek, which is still used today in the Orthodox Church and other Christian traditions.

Here is a transliteration of the Jesus Prayer in Greek:

Kyrie Iesou Christe, Yié tou Theou, eleison me ton hamartólon.

Pope Francis And The Jesus Prayer

Pope Francis has spoken about the importance of the Jesus Prayer and the practice of contemplative prayer in our daily lives. In a homily in 2013, Pope Francis said: ‘The prayer of the heart is the center of Christian life. It is a simple prayer, but it is so profound, so deep, so beautiful. It is a prayer that brings us into the presence of God and unites us with Him in love.’

Pope Francis has also emphasized the need for silence and stillness in our prayer lives, saying: ‘In our world today, which is often noisy and frenetic, we need moments of silence and quiet in order to hear the voice of God and to listen to His will for our lives. The practice of the Jesus Prayer can help us to cultivate this spirit of stillness and contemplation, even in the midst of our busy and hectic lives.’

Pope Francis has said: ‘The Jesus Prayer is a prayer of mercy and compassion, and it reminds us of our call to love and serve others as Christ did. Let us pray this prayer for ourselves and for all those who are in need of God’s mercy and healing.’