Present in the Moment

“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.’”

Luke 10:41-42

Have you ever had the experience of preparing for a very important occasion, whether it be for a big event or for a visit by a special guest? Imagine someone who you look up to and who you greatly respect is coming for dinner. You are exited and nervous at the same time. You want everything to be perfect, from the way the utensils are placed to the taste of the meal. As the big day approaches you ask a few of your closest friends and family members to join you for that special evening. The day is finally here. Your family and friends are here, you have the chicken in the oven, and you are going around the house making some last minute changes to the decor. The door bell rings. You freeze for a second. You tell everyone to stop and that the guest of honor is here. You go to the door, turn the knob, and open the door. Your role model is standing before you. The two of you share a warm embrace, and you welcome him inside your house.

Upon entering the house, you introduce him to everyone present, invite him to take a seat in the living room, and offer him a drink. Then you go back into the kitchen to get ready to serve dinner. Although you are glad that all of the invited family and friends are entertaining your guest, you would appreciate some help to execute this big dinner. No one is helping with pouring water into the glasses, bringing out the warm rolls, putting the main dishes on the table, doing some minor cleanup and touch ups. You begin to feel more overwhelmed than you already are. You go to the living room and are visibly distraught and overwhelmed. You make a passive aggressive remark, “Can at least someone help me out here?” The room grows silent. Your guest of honor, your role model tells you, “It is okay. Relax. They are helping by keeping me company.” And then the conversations resume. What do you do? How do you feel?

When Martha and Mary hosted Jesus in their home, Martha was busy getting the house ready and the meal prepared, while Mary was at Jesus’ side listening to Him and talking with Him. Martha famously asked Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?” to which Jesus answered, “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.” I don’t know about you, but I would be a bit disappointed and upset that Jesus did not suggest to Mary that helping me might be appreciated. But of course Jesus was not saying that Mary did not need to help; He was teaching Martha a deeper lesson. He was teaching her to be present in the moment.

What was most important that day? Having everything be picture perfect or being with Jesus? Yes, work must be done and dinner must be made, but we can never lose sight of the original “why” of what we are doing and the “for whom.” Jesus was trying to teach Martha that what is most important was the relationship amongst people. If there is no relationship, why would the other things matter and what meaning would they have? To be present to the people in our lives is more important than anything else we can do. Do we spend more time doing things for our loved ones or do we spend more time actually being with them?

Our Lord challenges us to think about our lives and the priorities we have set. What do they look like? Where does our relationship with Him stand? Where are our other relationships in the list? May we use the limited time we have here on earth to be with those whom we love. And all of our relationships must be rooted in and reflect our relationship with God. It all starts with prayer. To pray is the be present in the moment with God, and by doing so, we can come to learn how to be present to others.

Innate, Not Foreign

“No, it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out."

Deuteronomy 30:14

Sometimes it can feel as if God is far away and is someone who is distant and hard to grasp, especially when we are going through difficult times and trials. We may begin to doubt and question God and His existence and goodness because our suffering seems unjust or our trials too trying. When this happens the enemy will do all that he can to persuade us to stay in this state and wallow in our misery, driving us farther away from the Light, from God, from the One who calls us beloved. The enemy tries his best to tell us that God is foreign to us.

As he begins to prepare for his final moments, Moses once again encourages the Israelites. He reminds them of the commandment to love the Lord with their entire being, and that this commandment is not some lofty, idealistic imperative, but rather something very close to their hearts, something that is not foreign but rather innate.

Brothers and sisters, God is not neither far from us nor is He foreign. Every fiber of our being is connected to God, in whose image and likeness we are created. The command that Moses enjoined on the Israelites became flesh in Christ Jesus and in every way, inscribed upon our hearts and woven in our DNA. Truth, goodness, and beauty are not foreign to us. They are a part of us, they are that which draws us close to God and to one another. To know God and to be known by God is not something foreign to us, but rather innate. We were made by God, for God. So, when we find ourselves in a situation where we are tempted to pull away from God, let us always remember that deep down we know the true voice that speaks to us, the voice that says, “I am with you always. Just as the Father and I are one, so too are you one in us. Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

Fruits and Growth

“Israel is a luxuriant vine
whose fruit matches its growth.”

Hosea 10:1

The Prophet Hosea speaks of Israel as a luxuriant vine. At this time in history, Israel was not being very faithful to God, so much so that Israel was likened to a prostitute. Yet, God reminded them of their dignity and who they were and professed His love to them time and again. But that did not stop the Israelites from turning away from Him. Although God regards Israel as a “luxuriant vine,” she has cheapened herself, becoming a fruitless vine. We too are regarded as “luxuriant,” do we see it or do we too cheapen ourselves? Do our fruits match the luxuriant nature with which we have been endowed?

Sin is ugly and oftentimes it takes a strong hold on us. It may affect the way we think, speak, and act. Perhaps there have been times when we deliberately do or say things that we know are wrong, and as a result of that find it shameful to return to God. Just as Israel sold herself to other powers, prostituting herself, there may have been times when we have done the same. Have we allowed the power of the world and the enemy draw our hearts away from what is true, good, and beautiful? How do we know? By our fruits. Do what we think, say, and do reflect the goodness of God or does it reflect something else? Maybe our own pride, selfish desires and ambitions, or greed. It is by our fruits that we and others will come to know to whom we have decided to belong.

Brothers and sisters, being made in the image and likeness of God we have been endowed with a dignity that is far beyond any price we can imagine; we are the luxuriant vine that is grafted onto Christ who draws us into His Father’s loving embrace. May we never lose sight of our true identity.