Mary + Martha = Goodness

I'm sitting here, nearly completely ready to take the bar exam, trying to keep in mind things that are  truly important in this world, and of course, my thoughts turn to faith. Today is the feast of St. Martha.  This is the Martha who is the sister to Lazarus and to Mary (not the mother of God, nor Mary Magdeline, I think) and the moments before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead appears in today's gospel.  In this reading, we see Martha coming out to greet Jesus on his way to their house.  Jesus asks her if she believes that Lazarus will be risen from the dead, and she says "yes, in the resurrection".  But Jesus tells her things are much simpler than that; he is the resurrection and, unbeknownst to Martha, he will bring him back to life just a few moments later.

The other gospel passage where we prominently see Martha is another time when Jesus comes to visit her family (verses 38-42, if you are curious). While Jesus is there telling the word of God, Mary sits at Jesus' feet while Martha does all the preparations for the meal.  Eventually, Martha complains to Jesus that Mary isn't helping with the preparations and imposes upon Jesus to get her to do so.  Jesus than repudiates Martha, telling her that we all have our places in life and that Mary has chosen the better half...to listen contently to the word of God, realizing He and all of His promises encompass everything we will ever need.

I find myself often being a Martha. Part of it comes from my family...my mom is DEFINITELY a Martha, and I'm sure I get much of my inability to sit down and restrain myself from helping at dinner parties from her.  But part of being a Martha means that I over think...everything.  I worry about what is to come before facing what is right in front of me.  Martha is a woman of great faith and trust in God, and I would like to think that I am the same. But I often get so caught up on everything around me I forget to focus in on the things that really matter.  Today my prayer is obviously to get through the bar exam, but to show the faith of Martha with the simplicity of Mary.  I have to remember that ultimately, this is not up to me anymore (nor was it ever really). I've done what I can do and the rest is up to the big guy upstairs...and as one of my friends put it...he is certainly big enough to handle this one exam.  Moreover, I know that no matter what happens, he has shown me time and time again that I won't be left to fend for myself.  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more important than they?"  (Matthew 6:25-26)

I thank you all for your prayers. I know the calm I'm feeling this morning is a direct result of that. I ask that you keep them up because I will certainly need them over the next 36 hours.