The Gospel for FRIDAY, May 13, 2005
Luke 10:38-42
In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with all the serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said, ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
Willful
From time to time, I decide that I know exactly what the right thing to do is for my spiritual life. Every time that I embark on that exactly right thing without asking for Jesus to guide me, He guides me anyway, and generally nowhere near the goal that I had set.
A Reflection
There is a great deal to be learned about prayer from this very brief story. Unless we receive the question "What do you want from me," as spoken by Jesus to his mother at Cana, we are wiser to offer up our hearts and minds to Jesus as Mary did.
My experience is that a prayerful attitude is far more powerful than the best prayer, and a prayerful silence opens our needs to Jesus far better than the most eloquently-prayed entreaty to Him.
Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus are examples for us of how dear close friends to Jesus act. On this day, Martha is up-front with a big "I want" request, and Mary is content to listen at Jesus' feet. We are all Mary and Martha every day; it is our condition. Jesus reminds us that Mary gets the best part of the deal, even though Martha is the one whose service allows us the time to be Mary.
A Collect
Lord, help me to see when you are calling me to be Mary and when you are calling me to be Martha. Help me to rejoice in those faithful people in both ministries.
-- from the writer for today's Forward Day by Day meditation
9:56:43 PM 
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