Jesus loved to visit the home of Martha and Mary and enjoyed their gracious hospitality. Martha loved to serve, but in her anxious manner of waiting on Jesus, she caused unrest. Mary, in her simple and trusting manner, waited on Jesus by sitting attentively at his feet. She instinctively knew that what the Lord and Teacher most wanted at that moment was her attentive presence.

Anxiety and preoccupation keep us from listening and from giving the Lord our undivided attention. The Lord bids us to give him our concerns and anxieties because he is trustworthy and able to meet any need we have. His grace frees us from needless concerns and preoccupation.

The Lord Jesus desires that we make a place for him, not only in our hearts, but in our homes and in the daily circumstances of our lives as well. We honor the Lord when we offer to him everything we have and everything we do. After all, everything we have is an outright gift from God. St. Paul, in the letter to the Colossians 3:17, tells us to give God glory in everything: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

The Scripture tells us that when Abraham opened his home and welcomed three unknown travelers, he welcomed the Lord who blessed him favorably for his gracious hospitality. The Lord wants us to bring him glory in the way we treat others and use the gifts he has graciously given to us. God, in turn, blesses us with his gracious presence and fills us with joy.

In the Scripture we shall listen to God always to hear what he wants us to do for him on earth, and pray before we start working or serving others. Both the Prayer and the service are the two sides of the same coin. We cannot avoid one and take the other. Both are needed in our lives. So, we shall listen to the WORD of God every day and listen to HIM and he will inspire in us what to do at the right time.

God Bless us all.

Fr. Charley