“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.” (LK 10: 41-42)

We are very active. We have so many things to do: our work, our family, our friends, our relatives, our Church and many different social responsibilities. Sometimes we are busy being busy because we are running from things to things, living more in “chronos” than in “cairos.” Our Lord asks us today to remember that our actions should be based on our relationships. When we take care of our relationship as a very important priority—like our rituals—our actions will be consistent with who we are.

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date.” (EX 12: 41)

Who can keep events in their calendars for “four hundred and thirty years?” Who can plan a history in such a detailed way? When we have some unexpected changes in our plans or when we can’t see why something happened to us, it is good to remember that Our Lord is a Lord, Who created us and everything depends on Him. And He is Love, so He protects, He takes care, and He knows better why it happened and what amazing plan He prepared for us.

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men.” (MT 12: 7)

This is the most important element of our Program—to be a gift of self, not a demander. Givers of selves are merciful because their gift is not a reward for good behavior or a pay back for the good they received, but always a free, creative and joyful expression of their love; true love is always merciful, not a result of huge sacrifice.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord, I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (MT 11: 28)

We have our moments of “labor and [being] burdened.” We bring them to our homes, to our spouses, sometimes to our parents, siblings or friends; it helps when we are understood and comforted. But when we bring it to Our Lord, He “will give you rest.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’” (EX 3: 5)

When St. John Paul II spoke to married couples in 1987 in my hometown Szczecin, he used this fragment from the Bible to explain the role of home: “for the place where you stand is holy ground,” and the Pope said that the family is not only “holy ground” but is also “sanctifying ground.” How often we reduce our homes to places to rest and our offices as places to grow; if we can make our homes places of respect and of our personal career as a best husband and wife, our offices and our jobs will receive better persons– happier, more creative and more joyful. No business ever lost with a happy worker, and you can’t say this about a person in the process of divorce or separation or in crises. I hope that this is clear not only to “the little ones.”

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.’” (MT 20: 20-21)

We are not islands, luckily separated from others, safe in our gated areas, with our children in exclusive schools. We are separated because we want to be really focused on formation and the mission of how to spread with others the “mighty deeds [that] had been done” for us. Our love is not only for us and for our children; it is a gift to this world, to make it more family oriented and more in relationship. We receive a lot from Our Lord, and we should listen carefully when He calls us to serve others.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (MT 10: 40)

This is unbelievable how much dignity Our Lord gave to our service: “Whoever receives you receives me.” We understand better that all our “successes” are based on His presence rather than our qualifications, which can probably remove the stress coming from a huge responsibility. He loves us and people we served, and He will do everything to make our lives better because we also love Him.

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“‘Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?’ He answered, ‘The one who treated him with mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.”” (LK 10: 36-37)

It wasn’t his family, for sure none of his relatives, friends or coworkers, just a “neighbor.” And he “treated him with mercy.” He didn’t ask questions like: is this victim of robbery worthy to receive help, or what is his societal status, or does he have insurance which could cover the cost of his help? He helped because it should be done. Our Lord reminds us “Go and do likewise” to our spouses, to our children, to our relatives and neighbors.

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (MT 10: 29-31)

I think that Our Lord perfectly understands women’s concern—especially with the hairs 😉 too short or too long, too thin or too hard, too curly or too straight, etc. —God “even all the hairs of our heads counted.” This is the measure how important we are for Him. There is nothing in our lives that He is not Sat.concern. This is how the true love express itself.

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” (MT 10: 16-18)

How often do I hear a complaint: how could he/she? Well, this is part of our fallen nature, that we can. It sounds so sad that Our Lord reminds us: “Beware of men.” We can be different, we can be people of trust, of gentleness, of respect. People who are like “sheep in the midst of wolves,” not “wolves.”

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you.” (Gospel Acclamation)