Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Martha)
Gospel: Mt 13:47-53
Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.
GOD IS OUR GUIDE: The Ark of the Covenant is a representation of our bodies which are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who leads us in our Christian journey. Just like the children of Israel, we need to accept to be led by God who dwells in us by His spirit. In the gospel the Kingdom of God attracts all kinds of people because of the glory of God in our lives. There are people who will come to our lives because of the things that God is doing for us but they are not committed to his commandments. These will be separated and the righteous will go to heaven while the evil ones will go to hell. Let us allow God to dwell in us and to guide us to heaven.
PRAYER: We pray for the grace to respond now to the invitation to be part of the kingdom of God.
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AT THE SERVICE OF JESUS: Martha is as much a saint like Mary, her sister who received greater appreciation from the Lord having sat at the feet of Jesus to listen. What matters is the love that each has for God. Mary demonstrates the love in listening to Jesus, while Martha worries about the guest. Consecrated people have Martha, a model of active life, and Mary, demonstrating contemplative life. Active mission is supported by the never ending prayers of the many who dedicate themselves to contemplative life. That notwithstanding, every missionary action has to be an expression of our love for God, which in turn should anchor in contemplation. Action and contemplation cannot be separated in consecrated life. When prayer and contemplation fade from the life of the priests and consecrated people, their actions turn into mere social works losing the quality of mission and of the Kingdom of God. Lack of faithfulness in prayer life leads to several formees leaving congregations. The fervor and enthusiasm for the mission comes from the intimacy with the Lord. Let us engage in our mission.
DAILY GOSPEL 