Newsletter – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C.

Martha and Mary are often seen as symbols for a balance of hospitality. Martha represents the tasks of preparation – cleaning the house, cooking, setting the table, and the like. Mary represents the personal care of the visitor – listening, paying attention, spending quality time in conversation. Both are important.

If you were invited to someone’s home for dinner and the house was a total mess and no food was prepared, but the person cleared the junk off the sofa so you both would have a place to sit and talk, how would you feel?

If you were invited to someone’s home for dinner and the gourmet meal was so complicated that you were completely ignored until dinner was on the table, how would you feel?

Some people are the ‘perfect blend’ of the Martha–Mary examples of hospitality, but others fall off to one side or the other, being more talkers than housekeepers, or being more housekeepers than talkers.

When you have people around, do you tend to be more of a talker or more of a housekeeper? Or do you think you have a good balance, having all the preparations done ahead of time so that the focus of your attention is your guest?

Do you know anyone who has a perfect balance?