Dear Friends,
Our super-charged culture tells us to work, work, and work. We put a premium on peak performance as a mark of success and approval. Do we ever get a real break? We know that summer is the time for rest and rejuvenation. Some are lucky enough to get away for a well-deserved vacation; many others are not so lucky. An unknown writer has said, “Summer is when Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Music gets louder. Nights get longer. Life gets better.” Is your summer any or all of these and more? No matter what the answer, summer is a time of relaxation, so that we will be refreshed and rejuvenated in mind, body, and spirit. Knowing our human nature, many will focus on the body; less will focus on the mind; and even less will focus on the spirit. The challenge for all is to have a balance in all three areas of our lives.
This Sunday’s gospel about Mary and Martha can give us some food for thought about this balance. Unlike Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him, “Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part” (Luke 10:40). Jesus’s response was perhaps not what Martha expected. He pointed out to her that she was troubled and anxious about many things and then added: “Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).
Martha is a task-person who gets carried away by all her responsibilities, getting over-stressed and over-worked easily, losing sight of the why of all these. Does that sound like some of us? I have felt that in my own life and in my ministry here at St. Matthias. But Mary was a people-person who listened to Jesus, extended hospitality by her presence, and gave full attention to Jesus. We may have seen many such people-persons and wondered at their ability to socialize with guests, make them feel at home, and give their whole attention.
We need to be both. Many of us are out of balance in favor of more work and less rest. So I believe most of us need to make a transition to self-care. One easy but difficult way is to remember that you matter! We know that God created us in His image and likeness. Hence, we do matter. But often we forget this truth, and we slog like Martha. Our own self-worth falls by the wayside. I remember reading somewhere to carry a picture of yourself as a child next to your driver’s license, so that you’ll see that precious child is just as deserving of love and care as your own children. That is a wonderful way to reaffirm that we matter.
Mary, symbolizing the self-worth and self-care, put herself at the feet of Jesus. She was letting her soul be fed and enriched. Can we do the same during this summer? Think of ourselves as individuals who matter to God and to ourselves. Claim some time to feed our soul. Find some quiet time to read, pray, rest and relax. Let the Mary within us be given more affirmation.
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal