Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
Today’s gospel narrative is absolutely iconic in that it captures the tension we all experience in our attempts to balance a contemplative spirituality with householder responsibilities. At the outset, we must avoid the egoic tendency to make both sides of our lives into a dualistic arrangement. It is never an either/or proposition, but always both/and. Because all of human existence unfolds within God’s loving providence, the distinction between the sacred and the secular is a false one. God is in everything, and everything is in God.
In this story, the problem with Martha was not her service to Jesus, but her underlying anxiety. She was not centered, not at peace, not properly motivated. Contrast Martha with Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, which is a metaphor for meditation, contemplative prayer, and a God-centered consciousness. Certainly, Mary would have done anything Jesus asked of her, but she would have done so out of the love of a God-permeated consciousness. When we are faithful to our meditation practices and grounded in the consciousness of God’s presence, we are at peace and our service unfolds in a manner that is natural. Still deeper, we recognize that God is inspiring our service and working through us.
Indeed, certain individuals are called to live a life of prayerful solitude, whether in a cave or a monastery. However, the vast majority of us are called to live in the world, to be a living bridge between heaven and earth. A noble calling indeed! For me, the only way I am able to wisely manage my commitments as a husband, father, grandfather, and spiritual teacher is to daily ground my heart and mind in the consciousness of God’s presence and the guru’s grace. Of myself, I can do nothing, but in God and because of God all things are possible. The words of Mother Teresa increasingly echo in my heart: “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” Likewise, the great householder-guru Lahiri Mahasaya tells us, “Solve all your problems through meditation. Exchange unprofitable religious speculations for actual God-contact. Clear your mind of dogmatic theological debris; let in the fresh, healing waters of direct perception. Attune yourself to the active inner Guidance; the Divine Voice has the answer to every dilemma of life.”
Divine Mother,
When I am stressed,
Remind me:
Only one thing is needed.
