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Homily for the sixteenth
Sunday of the year - Year C - Lk. 10:38-42
by
Canon Dr. Daniel Meynen
" As they went on their
way, Jesus entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him
into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's
feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much
serving; and she went to him and said, «Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help
me.» But the Lord answered her, «Martha, Martha, you are
anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has
chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.»
"
Homily:
" As they went on their
way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into
her house. "
Jesus was walking along: he
heads toward Jerusalem, announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God
to all. He himself does what he had told his disciples to do, and he
says, with them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you." (Luke 10:9)
Presently he enters a village, and he is going to spend some time in a
house where he will enjoy himself very much: that of Martha and her
sister Mary. This village is called Bethany, and is very near
Jerusalem. This house is not only that of Martha and Mary, but also
that of their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus resurrected after having
mourned his death (cf. Jn. 11:35).
This is a highly symbolic
place, because here both the divinity and the humanity of Jesus, the
Son of God become a Man, appear in all their fullness. Jesus seems to
be quite unique when he resurrects Lazarus: he demonstrates the divine
omnipotence which belongs to him as his own. But Jesus also seems to be
just an ordinary person when he mourns the death of someone he loved so
much, even though he already knew that he was going to raise him from
the dead.
This house, this privileged
place in the village of Bethany, is a place that fully demonstrates the
two natures of Christ: the divine nature and the human nature. And this
duality in the unique person of the Savior of Mankind is evident from
the very moment of his entry into this house: it is in the attitude of
the two sisters, Martha and Mary, that it will be made evident.
" She had a sister called
Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But
Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said,
«Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Tell her then to help me.» "
Saint Paul told us: "You
are the Body of Christ." (1 Cor. 12:27) This means that those who are
united to Christ by faith and charity are one with him: they form the
mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church. This is what takes place
here, when Martha and Mary welcome Jesus into their home: they become
the Body of the Lord through their limitless love!
But then, since the body is
multiple (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14), Martha and Mary, in a certain sense,
demonstrate both aspects of the person of Christ: it is as if what is
multiple - since it is double - in Christ, that is, both the divine and
human natures, were found separately in each one of the two sisters,
Martha and Mary.
So, the divinity of Christ
appears more in Mary, who sits down at the Lord's feet in order to
listen his word, the Word of God, the Son, who has the same nature as
the Father. "I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ ..., begotten, not
made, one in Being with the Father." On the otherhand, the humanity of
Christ appears more in Martha, who takes care of serving her guests and
doing her housework: Martha through her activity demonstrates the
mission of the Servant which Jesus would fulfill on earth for the
salvation of the world. "For the Son of man also came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk. 10:45)
" But the Lord answered
her, «Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many
things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which
shall not be taken away from her.» "
Only one thing is
necessary! Of the two natures of Christ, only one is necessary for us:
the divine nature! If the Son of God took flesh in the bosom of the
Virgin Mary, it was to make us participate in his divine nature at the
price of his redeeming sacrifice on the Cross! The humanity of Christ
is transient, in the sense that it serves as a mediator between, on one
hand, the divinity of the Son of God, and on the other hand all the men
and women who want with all their heart to unite themselves to Christ
through a sincere faith. For only one thing is necessary, and that is
what Mary chose, the divinity of Christ the Redeemer!
Today therefore, let us
prepare our heart to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Christ is entirely
present in this sacrament: he is there in his body, his soul and his
divinity. "The Mass is indeed the living representation of sacrifice of
the Cross." (H.H.. John-Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Dies Domini" on the
sanctification of Sunday, May 31, 1998). Let us ask the Most Holy
Virgin Mary to prepare our heart to welcome Jesus in us in order to
receive the fruits of his Sacrifice for the glory of God and the
salvation of the world!
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