Praying Together 20th July 2025

‘… you are you are worried and distracted by many things…’

Being busy is a sort of cultural value among us—and rightly. “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” But, of course, the question of balance arises. There are indeed other needs and other hungers. These include simple human things like time for friends. Even hospitality—which is always work—can get in the way of really meeting. Something similar can be said of time for reflection, meditation and prayer. Time is not really the issue—after all, we manage to find time to waste on TV, tablets etc. It is more a question of our own insight, choice and decision, lest we overlook and even lose “the better part.”

As is well known, this delightful scene the gospel of today, which touches on the balance of work and prayer depicts is found only in Luke’s Gospel.
Luke’s presents Jesus to us in three dimensions which are relevant here. The scene is a setting of food and hospitality: with more than one hundred references in Luke and Acts food and hospitality are important themes. Jesus spent time eating with friends, even at the risk of accusation, he uses meals as places of encounter, of mission, of breaking with tradition, of feeding many and of the Lord’s Supper.

And indeed, hospitality is important in many religions and cultures. Yet many people misunderstand hospitality. They worry and fret about decorating the house and preparing abundant food. But beside all those efforts it is something else that is needed to make people feel at home, namely, to sit with guests and to listen to them speaking. What has been our experience of being a cherished guest and when have we been able to make others feel welcome and at home?

Secondly Luke likes stories in which there are two contrasting characters, as here, busy Martha, who is stressed by preparing all the foods, distracted, and quite impolitely complaining about it, and listening Mary, who has chosen the better part.
At times it can be difficult to balance the contemplative and active aspects of life. Often we hear about work life balance. Are we allowing time for prayer, listening and receiving God in our busy, active lives? And how can we do this? Does one exclude the other, or can we express prayer in and during our actions?

Thirdly, Luke, as he does frequently in his Gospel, places Jesus with female named characters to make his point. Women play a more important role in Jesus’ ministry than one would expect, given he was living and teaching in a male dominated environment at his time. Jesus gives them the place that is intended in God’s Kingdom, as he does with all who may be marginalised and excluded from society. Would we give the same attention in receiving someone who comes to us? Jesus comes to us in many ways and with many faces. Are we aware we may ‘entertain Angels without knowing it?
And he wants to be welcomed by all in their lives, he trusts all are worthy and able to have their hearts and minds opened to receive him. Do we have faith that if we open our place and heart with attention and love to the Lord and to what he wants to tell us, we will be worthy and ‘good enough’ for him, and trust his love for us?