Thursday, July 28, 2011

St. Martha, Friday, 29-07-11

1 John 4:7-16 / Luke 10:38-42

Last week when the priests were having their annual retreat, there were only communion services in place of the Mass.

But of course that does not mean that the priests at the retreat did not celebrate Mass. We priests brought along the Mass intentions which were offered at Mass everyday of the retreat.

The retreat was also an occasion for us priests to reflect about our very fundamental duty.

Essentially, the duty of the priest is to offer Mass and sacrifice on behalf the faithful.

Yet we priests can become so busy with other pastoral work like preparing for lessons and talks and conducting retreats that Mass can become just one of the things that we do.

Also familiarity can be the death of reverence and we can lose focus of why we are doing what we are doing.

In the gospel, we heard how Martha also lost focus and got distracted on why she was doing what she was doing when she complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her at all with the serving.

Jesus answer to her is a reminder for us that we must focus on the necessary and the important.

In whatever we are tasked to do, let us remember that it is God that we are serving and by doing our work well, we give glory to God.

May St. Martha pray for us that we won't fret and worry about so many things but to always focus on doing the will of God and to do it with love.