Memorial of Saint Martha
In the United States today, we have a negative association with giving up. We are told from the time that we are little that we can be whatever we want and do whatever will make us happy. We are told that we can achieve the American dream, so long as we work hard and stay focused on our goals. And while this bears some reflection of truth, it can lead us to think that life is all about us: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” In fact, this is not the case. We can’t always control what happens to us, and when we look back at our life, we often find that we weren’t as in control as we thought we were at the time.
In this context, we can consider the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah. Here we find the people of Israel compared to clay in the hands of a potter. Take some time to play with this image. Clay really does nothing to make its shape; it is all up to the potter. The clay is merely the material, and good clay, that is not too dry or too wet, can be shaped just as the skillful potter intends. Can we imagine ourselves – our whole Church –being clay in God’s hands? If we can, we will see that one of the first steps in Christian faith is to give up: give up our selfishness, give up our idols, give up our conviction that we can be whatever we want to be and have everything our way.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha. Martha of Bethany is perhaps most famous for her complaints against her sister who was sitting listening to Jesus while Martha did all the serving. We see reflected in Martha’s actions there the belief that everything was up to her; she was anxious about many things because she was trying to be in control of everything. Her sister’s ability to sit back and give up her ambitions was annoying to her. But of course, Martha would not be a saint if this story reflected her whole spirituality.
The gospel passage from John gives us a better picture of Martha’s holiness and her recognition that God is ultimately the one in control. She knows that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died. Martha also believes that Jesus can still help them. Martha also shows faith in the resurrection and belief that Jesus is the Christ. Martha is still active, and she is still seeking something from Jesus. But here she is doing it in a spirit of having given up. She knows that she cannot raise her brother any more than she could have prevented his death. Martha recognizes that she is not always in control of what happens to her. She has resigned herself and her situation to being in the potter’s hands, the hands of God. And it is this sense of giving up that brings life to her and to her brother Lazarus, who Jesus does raise from the dead.
How can we give up? That old expression “Let go and let God” seems to be impossible, and indeed, if we interpret it to mean that we should just kick back and drink tea while God handles everything, we will be sorely disappointed in what transpires. Instead, we go about our lives constantly reminding ourselves that we simply cannot be in control of everything; much that happens to us is beyond our control but God still has a hand in it, helping us to make the best of bad situations and supporting us in our success. We must give up all of our own desires to have everything our way and instead shape our lives so that we have everything God’s way – so that we do God’s will in every thought, word, and action.
Give up. It’s time.
- Maria Morrow