Become Mary at the Feet of Jesus

 

Deacon Kevin Gingras

July 17, 2022

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071722.cfm

First off, let’s begin with something I found very cool. In our first reading from Genesis pay attention to a tiny detail that might get missed (I certainly missed it):

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.

No, not terebinth, that’s just a tree that would have offered Abraham some shade as the day grew hot.  It’s these two things: first, the LORD appeared to Abraham - sounds singular - the LORD - then suddenly it’s three men - scholars make the obvious point of saying that this is a prefiguring of the Trinity. I thought the was very cool!  Now on to the Homily!

A meal is a significant part of covenants and relationships.  At the Passover feast, they had to slaughter the unblemished lamb, put its blood on the door and then eat it, they had to finish with that meal as a family.  Even without a covenant attached to a meal they were very important.  We read about two meals today.  First Abraham and Sarah prepare a meal for the “three visitors”.  In the Gospel, we see Martha anxiously preparing a meal as well.

We are family here.  Today we share, as a family, a covenant meal!  Like Abraham received the LORD in the reading from Genesis we will do just that today, the difference is Abraham fed the LORD but today the LORD will feed us with the meal of the very last covenant, the Eucharist. Like Paul said in our reading to the Colossians:

But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

After receiving the Eucharist, the culmination of this meal at the Altar of the Lord we will have Christ in us, the hope for glory.  What MORE could we want!

Since we are beginning the Eucharistic revival let’s ponder just that, the Eucharist and Adoration again.  Read exactly what Mary is doing in today’s Gospel?

Martha had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

So here is Martha preparing, serving, and worried about Earthly things and there is lazy Mary, doing nothing but relaxing with Jesus.  No, that is certainly not what Mary is doing.  Mary is doing what we can do in Adoration, Monday through Friday weekdays right here in this church from 10 am to 8 pm.  The Eucharist is the Lord!  We can sit at the feet of the Lord and become like Mary, listening to the Lord speak to us but there is a catch.  We first must leave our Martha tendencies out in the car.  Leave our earthly things behind, don’t worry, they will still be there in the car when you get back and if you want, you can leave the window open a bit for them if it’s hot out.

If you are like me you might use your phone to pray, take it in with you and do just that, there are so many great prayer apps out there.  If you are also like me there might be nights when the phone is a major distraction and it will cause you to be more like Martha.  If it’s one of those nights leave it home or turn it off. Save your Martha tendencies for when you are having important guests over.  In adoration try to remove all the Martha distractions so you can really become Mary at the feet of Jesus.  Remember:

Mary chose the better part and it will not be taken from her.

No one can take Jesus from us except ourselves.  We mustn’t let our burdens, our worries, or our anxieties blur our focus on Jesus.

Sometimes it is harder than other times to focus, don’t worry, it takes practice and perseverance, even the saints knew this.  

Take what St. Francis De Sales said: 

If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence.  And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.