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Balance your vocation with action and contemplation |
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By Deacon Cole Kracke
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Tuesday, 13 July 2010 |
When Jesus stopped in Bethany on his way to Jerusalem, Mary and Martha served him, each in their own way.
Sunday Scriptures
Deacon Cole Kracke
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Martha greeted and served him while her sister Mary sat at his feet and listened to his words.
In our Christian tradition, Martha has been recognized as representing
the active life, while Mary has come to represent the contemplative
life. Both of those vocations were good and they served the Lord well,
even though Martha did not fully realize this when she implored the Lord
to tell her sister to be more active in helping her perform the duties
of hostess.
As a result of our modern lifestyle, we are distracted by numerous
things that can serve as barriers to our communion with the Lord. We
often have anxiety about our families, careers, finances and
relationships with others. We become so action focused in a culture that
is success and achievement orientated that we lose sight of the grace
and peace that can come from taking time to sit at the feet of our Lord
and opening our hearts to receive his words.
Likewise, if we focus solely on the contemplative nature of our lives,
neglecting the service to others, we are falling short of what the Lord
has commanded us to do. Labor is a necessary component of our human
existence and it can serve as a conduit to unite us closer to God.
Sacred Scripture speaks of the importance for those who are able, to
work for their keep (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Readings
Sunday, July 18
16th Sunday in ordinary time
» Genesis 18:1-10a
» Colossians 1:24-28
» Luke 10:38-42
For reflection
How you have successfully mixed work with prayer?
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Master your vocation
The key to an authentic Christian life and witness in our secular world
is being able to combine both of those attributes — recognizing the time
for action and the time for contemplation. Our Lord has called us each
to a specific vocation in life and the key to mastering this vocation is
integrating a balance between the two.
Mary served the Lord in just as an important way as Martha, recognizing
that, at that moment, she was better serving Jesus by remaining at his
feet and serving him with her presence and devotion, which “was the
better part.”
The reason that Jesus rebuked Martha was that she thought that her work
was more important at that time.
In my first summer as a newly ordained deacon, I have found that I am
most effective when I engage in action and contemplation simultaneously.
It can be as simple as a spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving while
performing a physical task or reciting a rosary in the car on my way to
the hospital for a visit.
Although it may not be easy to do, we need to be both Mary and Martha in
our service to the Lord. We need to recognize the time and need for
both action and contemplation as we serve him and others in his name.
Deacon Cole Kracke is in formation for the priesthood at the St. Paul
Seminary. His home parish is All Saints in Lakeville and his teaching
parish is Annunciation in Minneapolis.
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