SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Posted on Jul 23, 2019

21 July 2019

There are only just the two of us, my brother and I.

And like most siblings we are alike in many ways and in many ways we are quite dissimilar.

Those who know us both say we have got it wrong.

My brother should have been the priest. I should have run a large company.

But I was born on Christmas–me and Jesus,

and he was born on Thanksgiving–just he and the bounty of the harvest.It’s odd how things turn out isn’t it?

Many years ago my brother purchased a new home in Oshkosh.

When I asked him what prompted him to buy that particular house, he said:

“Because it’s next to the monastery. 

I think it will be good for my children to live next door to a church.”

I said, “It will certainly be a little out of the ordinary.”

He said, “Sometimes if you love Jesusyou have to go a little out of the ordinary.”

He should have been the priest.

What happens in today’s gospel is not so much comparison between these two siblings–

Martha and Mary, but a rather bold statement by Jesus and the gospel writer.

It’s clear, that what Mary does is out of the ordinary.

It’s not only the unexpected, but it violates customs of the day.

Mary presumes a place of honored disciple at the feet of Jesus.

A place which in the first place belongs to men,

And, She in fact neglected her duties of hospitality for something more important.

She weighed two goods, and chose the more daring, certainly the less ordinary.

The issue Mary’s behavior raises for us is really an examination of conscience.

We all pursue our faith, our relationship with God, in certain established

and honestly, comfortable socially acceptable bounds.

We give a nod to God on Sundays. We support the church,

We do a few good deeds here and there–

But beyond that, beyond the ordinary what do we do?

What are we willing to do?

That’s the question of the week.  What, out of the ordinary are you willing to do?