Martha and Mary were sisters whom Jesus visited at Bethany. They both loved Jesus but they showed their respect and love for him in different ways. Martha made herself busy, making preparations in the kitchen for Jesus’ arrival. Mary, on the other hand, simply sat and listened to Jesus. When Martha asked Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her around the house, Jesus simply told her not to worry about too many things whereas only one thing is needed. “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”
In our daily lives, we tend to have Martha’s mindset: we are so busy and we look to God and ask Him to send some signs that he is acting in our lives. We are so involved with our work, organizations, causes and involvements that we believe that these should be enough to please God. We seek recognition from God, our families, spouses, loved ones and friends that the things we do are important. But Jesus does not need us to move busily from one involvement to another, seeking to please Him and our loved ones at all times. In fact, Jesus said that Mary, unlike Martha, had it right all along. Sometimes the one thing we need to do the most is to be still and to listen to Him. We need to free ourselves from the voices that move our daily lives, and to contemplate God’s love for us in all that we do.
Mother Mary also listened and accepted the events in her life and kept them in her heart. She was humble to do God’s will. She did not seek to please God through accolades or achievements. She simply said “yes” to the plan of God in her life.