Only One Thing
Tuesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Luke 10:38-42 - Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“Martha, burdened with much serving…”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
Families (especially parents), listen to this! Listen to this! Martha was “burdened with much serving.” She wasn’t burdened with anything bad—not with sin or selfishness. She wasn’t even burdened with anything neutral—work or money. She was burdened with something good—she was burdened with serving. She was sincerely trying to do something for the Lord… But it wasn’t what He wanted from her. Families, parents, why do we work and work and work trying to do good for each other and for God, never once stopping to listen to what He really wants? It is fine and good to serve God if we are doing what He is asking.
To find out what God is asking, we first need to sit at His feet and listen. What good is it to spend our lives doing things for God if we are constantly doing something He doesn’t want from us? It’s a waste of our energy. God has something better for us. He knows that we need time…to sit and listen. We need to make time to sit and listen. We need to make more time to sit and listen. Jesus is asking us to listen… Will we stop and listen? Take a moment, right now, and answer Jesus in all honesty: “Yes” or “No”?
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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