Memorial of Saint Martha

Today's Mass Readings

What would happen to us, if one day we were walking down the street and suddenly we realize that the person walking towards us was Jesus? What would we do? Would we turn and walk with him? Would we ask lots of questions? Might we like Martha fall at Jesus’ feet and listen to the Lord? The readings today illustrate people in the presence of the Lord. The readings challenge us to look at what happens when men and women of faith are truly in God’s presence. Both Moses and Martha had a direct relationship with the Lord, unlike most in their days. For Moses, it was as if he spoke with the Lord face to face. God’s glory shone in the radiance on Moses’ face. For Martha, a close friend of Jesus through her brother Lazarus, she literally could sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Jesus’ words with the whole of her being. Even the today’s psalm reminds us God has spoken to the people.

How do we hear the words of scripture? Can we sense the ways the Lord is truly present to us not only in the Word and Sacraments, but even in the people around us? What would the world be like today if we lived as if the Lord was present in one another?

In India, half a world away, they use the word "Namaste" as a greeting. There are many translations of this ancient word. One of the better I have read means, "I salute the God within you!" One English translation is “the divine spark in me recognizes and is aware of the divine spark in you.” The greeting is reflects a deep awareness between two or more souls of their underlying divine reality.

This deep awareness of God’s presence was certainly true for both Martha and Moses. Christianity at its best sees Christ in everyone, especially the poorest of the poor. As Christians we live in a world where inequality still exists. We are called to reflect on the ways in which we fail to recognize Christ as present in the people around us.

“Lord, open our eyes today. Give us a deep awareness of Your presence of those in our midst, most especially in those whom we do not appreciate. Let our understanding of Your true presence grow in a intense way so that our lives radiate to others our love for You Oh Lord. Amen.”

-Michael Montgomery