The Gospel according to Luke (10:38-42)
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
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.”
Reflection:
Today, we remember our Blessed Virgin Mary under the title: “Our Lady of the Rosary”. The Rosary as a Catholic devotion dates back about 800 years when tradition tells us that the Blessed Virgin instructed St Dominic to offer that prayer in her name to try to bring believers back to the faith. The memorial we have today dates back a few hundred years less to the 1500’s, when, due to the Rosary being offered in Rome, invaders were defeated, saving Europe from being overrun.
As I’ve mentioned on occasion in my DEACON5 reflections, I’m a convert to Catholicism. I do recall having issues with this or that of the teachings of the Church but I never really had any problem with the Rosary. I loved how the priest who accompanied my RCIA class described the role of the Blessed Virgin as the loving Mother pleading for her children before God as only a mother could. I have always found a sense of peace in praying the Rosary for that reason and I use it pretty much every night before I go to sleep to commend my prayers to the Blessed Virgin, that I may have a peaceful night of sleep and know that she is there before God, continuing my prayers there.
The days when I don’t offer those prayers that are notable, because I am missing that sense of peace, and I feel myself cast adrift until I pause and try to reclaim that peace. I like to think that I become more like Martha was in today’s Gospel at those times of being “adrift” – I focus on the busy-ness of doing this or that, and I forget whom I am serving in my actions that day. I find that the Rosary helps me to follow the example of Mary of Bethany, where I sit at the feet of the Lord, listening to His voice in my heart, and allowing that inner peace to find me once more.
Linda and I are blessed to be on vacation this week in Kona, and as I write this, I’m listening to the birds (and there are a LOT of them in the trees nearby), watching the palm trees swaying in the breeze, and looking at the distant peak of Mauna Kea in the distance, shrouded by clouds. Despite the hubbub of those birds, I still feel a sense of peace and I wish it for all who listen to or read this reflection. May God bring each of you His “aloha” (love) and His “maluhia” (peace), today and always.
Action for the Day:
Pray for peace today. First of all, pray that the Lord will help you know His peace in your heart. Then, pray that you be a bringer of peace to those whom you meet today. If you want to make people pause a bit, extend to them God’s “aloha”, and tell them that Deacon Chuck told you to do so. Aloha, my friends!
Link to the DEACON5 website: https://deacon5.com/
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Aloha, Dn. Chuck and Linda! Beautiful reflection and picture. Have a well-deserved and awesome vacation!