“Being strengthened by praying the Rosary, and ‘choosing the better part’ of giving whole attention to the Lord and to His Kingdom!”

(Based on Gal 1:13-24 and Lk 10:38-42 – Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2)

On a crowded international flight, a weary businessman found himself seated…
… beside a small, frail nun in a white sari trimmed with blue – Mother Teresa

As the plane rose above the clouds, he noticed her fingers quietly moving over the beads of a rosary.

After some time, Mother Teresa turned to him and said gently,

“Would you like to pray the Rosary with me?”

He was embarrassed.
He hadn’t prayed in years.
But something about her peace…
… so still, so luminous, made him nod.

There, at thirty-thousand feet, they prayed together: A humble woman of faith…
… and a man lost in distraction.

When the prayer ended, Mother Teresa smiled and pressed the rosary into his palm.

“Keep it with you,” she said. “It will help you remember that you are never alone.”

He did keep it.
And in the years that followed, that rosary passed from one hand to another…
… to the sick, the dying, the desperate
… and countless hearts found comfort through its touch.

In a cabin filled with so many people and engines and chatter, one woman found a way to bring Heaven down to earth…
… a few beads of prayer became a bridge of silence.

She was not doing much…
… she was simply being with God.

And that presence became the most powerful act of service.

Mother Teresa chose the better part…
… not the many things that pull us apart
… but the One Presence that holds us together.

Jesus, in the Gospel of the Day, invites us too: to stop, to listen, and to let our hearts rest at His feet
… through the incident of Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary and Lazarus.

During his journey of ministry, Jesus came to a village and was welcomed in the house of Martha and Mary.

Martha demonstrates great hospitality by welcoming Jesus into the home.

She gets busy with the tasks of serving their honoured Guest.

Mary, on the other side, displays great devotion and love, by sitting at the feet of Jesus

She gets immersed into spending time, with the revered Rabbi.

This incident invites us to appreciate the courage and devotion of Mary

The role adopted by Mary was something contrary to the fixed norms for a Jewish woman.

She sat at the feet of Jesus, just as a student would, while learning at the feet of a Rabbi.

This was, however, a role reserved for men.

Yet, Mary “chose the better part” (Lk 10: 42)

This incident also invites us to reflect on the words of Christ to Martha.

Jesus tells Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her?” (10:41-42).

The Lord extends an invitation to Martha to examine her approach…

Jesus is not against her actions of service and of providing a comfortable hospitality.

But He is concerned that Martha is too ” worried and distracted”

Very often…
… our best intentions in life can get spoilt due to our tendency to over-worry or be over-anxious.
… our noblest deeds of works can be marred due to our unnecessary outbursts of irritation and distractions

The Greek word used for “distracted” is “periespato”

“Periespato” means to be pulled or dragged in different directions

As a result of this high degree of distraction….

Martha fails to maintain an important and basic dimension of hospitality – giving due attention to the guest
She also apparently causes humiliation for her sister, Mary
… even goes on to accuse Jesus of “not caring about her!”

We live in a world where we are prone to get easily “distracted” – to be pulled or dragged in different directions – like Martha.

But can we seek to overcome this crippling tendency…
… by “choosing the better part” of giving whole attention to the Lord and to His Kingdom.

In a world filled with much noise and distractions…
… let us “bring heaven into the lives of people”
…. especially (in this month of October) with the “few beads of the Rosary”

And allow His Presence to dwell in the places we are!

God Bless! Live Jesus!