COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY EVER-LIVING GOD, WHO IN THE ABUNDANCE OF YOUR KINDNESS SURPASS THE MERITS AND THE DESIRES OF THOSE WHO ENTREAT YOU, POUR OUT YOUR MERCY UPON US TO PARDON WHAT CONSCIENCE DREADS AND TO GIVE WHAT PRAYER DOES NOT DARE TO ASK. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Gal 1:13-24; Ps 138:1-3,13-15 and Lk 10:38-42.
“Mary has chosen the better part”, states Jesus to Martha. Scripture today urges each of us, as well as animates us to ask ourselves, “What is the better part in my life I have chosen to do?
Before his conversion, St. Paul chose a worse part in life, just like St. Francis of Assisi. Later, when God revealed his Son Jesus to St. Paul, he was converted, and this time Paul chose the better part in life and proclaimed the Lord to the Gentiles. The portion of his letter to the Galatians we are reflecting on today is Paul’s ‘confessional profession’. When Paul chose his new life, a better part, after his conversion, he never went back to his former sinful life. His past life became a ‘history’ or a past event to Paul, and he hung on to the changed and new life. He worked tirelessly until he was beheaded in Rome. St. Francis’ life is similar.
If St. Paul had succeeded at all, it was because he was constantly in communion with the Lord his Saviour. He was constantly in touch with him, of course, through prayer, reflection and meditation. This is what Mary chooses to do when Jesus visits them. Jesus hails Mary for that. Indeed, a ‘prayerless’ life is not worth living, and worse, a ‘prayerless’ life does not yield any meaningful profits, fruits, achievements and successes in our sleepless days and nights of toil and hard labour. Again, a ‘prayerless’ life is like a car without an engine to move it. One Ancient Philosopher, Socrates, even put this beautifully in another way: the “Unreflective life is not worth living”. Prayer, meditation and reflection on the word of God are the life-wire that connects us to God. It is our ‘telephone’ through which we communicate with God. Without prayer, meditation and reflection, we easily fall into frustrations, disappointments, failures, etc.
It must be noted that Jesus’ focus is not on condemning Martha when he tells her that “Mary has chosen the better part”. Far be it. We all know the importance of food in our lives. We also know how important work is. Jesus’ focus is that just as our daily chores are very important, because we get our daily bread and physical nourishment from that, and through that we also can support and assist others, it is equally very important to always get connected with God, to be directed and protected as we work. Therefore, there is a need to strike a balance between work and prayer. Too much of one will negatively and seriously affect the other. May we learn to see the importance of time spent in reflection and prayer as we work. May Saint Bruno intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the name Bruno.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GRANT US, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT WE MAY BE REFRESHED AND NOURISHED BY THE SACRAMENT WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED, TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO WHAT WE CONSUME. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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