What is the one purpose for which you are decided to give your all? For which no criticism, no rejection, no labour, no striving, no pain, no suffering, no sacrifice is too great to deter its achievement. What is the one mission assigned you from the day of your birth that you find is truest to your nature and worth pursuing despite the odds? Maybe to tend the sick, to speak for the oppressed, to show hospitality to travellers, to defend the rights of refugees, to educate the young, to provide for the poor, to preach the gospel… This is your divine vocation, the exercise of which accomplishes your divinisation in Christ and shows forth the glory of Godde. It is core to your salvation necessitating all your energy and might though a lonely path, full of thorns.
The story of Martha and Mary is
commonly interpreted as Jesus favouring contemplation over action; attending to
Godde, over attending to the world; listening over service; Mary over Martha.
But think about it would Jesus exclude service to neighbour from service to
Godde? Would Jesus compare two persons to say “you are better than s/he is?”
That would be the sin of the Pharisee (cf LK 18:11). So what does Jesus mean
when he says “Mary has chosen the better part?”
There are a lot of good
opportunities for service that compete for our attention-to make more money, to
gain favour with one’s family, to show oneself an expert, to secure legacy, to
make others comfortable, to attain a position, to impress one’s spouse, to be
loved by one’s children… Often times these distract us from finding and living
out one’s unique mission. At other times we find the vocation of others more
attractive and want to divert into it rather than take the pain to chart the
virgin terrain of our own mission. Jesus meant that Mary, of the choices she
had, including joining her sister’s vocation, she chose to follow her own of theological
pursuit, of engaging discourse on Godde. A vocation traditionally reserved to
men, which her religious sister did not see as Mary’s ‘proper place’. Jesus
refused to push Mary away from what had been divinely stirred up within her to
please the status quo. Jesus cautioned Martha that her preoccupation with her
sister’s ‘right’ vocation constituted worrying about “so many things” and
distracted her from her own vocation of hospitable service (cf John 12:2)
Martha who later on will testify, " I believe that you are the Christ, the
Son of God, He who is coming into the world."(cf Jn 11:27) is no less a
faithful believer and disciple than Mary. Jesus does not compare persons but
points you to make a decision to do that which is YOUR mission. This is doing
justice; to yourself, to the Church and to Godde. This is carrying out the
individual apostolate that Vatican II’s Apostolicam Actuositatem speaks
of, to be formed by theological training.
Our first reading points
significantly to the fact that the divine covenant of being a primordial
exemplar of faith in Godde is made to women also no matter how imperfect they
may be considered, in the person of Sarah, our Mother in Faith, whose name
changed from Sarai (Gen17). Had it been simply a promise made to Abraham,
Ishmael would suffice as Abraham had requested (Gen 17:17-18)! And thus the
Lord asks “Where is Sarah your wife?” as to ask “where are the women?” On one
hand it confirms that the same vocation extends individually to both genders
and on the other it points to a fact that while concubinage may bring forth
legitimate children, only Matrimony comes with a divine promise of mission
inspired in both spouses which they must pursue together. This is carrying out
the family apostolate that Vatican II’s Apostolicam Actuositatem speaks
of, to be formed by theological training.
St Paul exercises ministry by
private divine appointment as an Apostle of Christ and a minister of the
Church. He did not see, hear or follow Jesus during Christ’s earthly life, Paul
was not at the last supper, nor did his apostolic office come from being chosen
and anointed by any of the 12 apostles or their successors, hence he was often
called an impostor. Paul as concerns vocational mission, challenges you and I
to take seriously the indwelling of Christ in the believer via the Holy Spirit
and the stirrings She produces within us-the Sensus fidei. Paul
exhorts to fidelity to toil and strive in our mission in the church even in the
face of the rejection of our unique mission by the church or by loved ones in
this we complete Christ’s afflictions. It is common story of the saints that
the Church first persecuted them and asked them to stop and years later
approved and even canonised them: Joan of Arc, Padre Pio, Thomas Aquinas,
Suppression of Jesuit order…
Jesus assures that Godde does not
inspire unrealisable desires; Jesus declares that your choice shall not be
taken away from you; Jesus calls you to engage with single devotion that which
you have discerned as your calling, Jesus calls you to trust and engage your
mission. So beloved, choose to do your mission, choose the better part - walk
blamelessly, do the right thing and speak your truth from your heart that as
the psalmist says, you may always abide forever in the presence of the Lord. Be
Blessed and fired up as you believe!
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