A conversation with Christ

Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8
Luke 10:38-42
The Joyful Mysteries

Poor Martha—she’s trying to be the good hostess and prepare a nice meal for Christ and her sister—and instead she gets 'criticized' or should I say reminded about priorities. The reading is not really about preparing a meal for our friends. It is about setting our priorities.

For many of us 24 hours in a day is just not enough—or at least we think that it’s not. We might even deprive ourselves of sleep in order to pack more activities in our day. Others of us might be procrastinators, in that we know what we should be doing, but we put it off until it is too late.

This Gospel Reading has such a strong message for us in late 2009 in this technology world where there are too many cell phones, Blackberries, I-pods, and many more devices that are barriers to each of us “being in the moment with the other.” Many of us can instantly visualize the numbers of meetings we attend where professional adults are busy sending or checking their latest email. We eat in restaurants and watch a table of four people conversing – not with each other but each talking to someone else on their cell phone. And, the list continues of not being present to the other in the moment.

Now think about Mary, and the greater gift of hospitality she was transmitting. She was present. She was in the moment. She was engaged. She was being, not doing. Christ says of Mary, sitting at His feet, that she has chosen the better thing to do. We can only imagine the flow of their conversation. We too, can have that 'conversation with Christ' in our prayer life.

Where does prayer fit into our usual day? Could we find time to present ourselves to Christ? Is there a quiet place in the house, or could we make it so by turning off the T.V. or radio? How about turning off the car radio on the way to or from work. Pray aloud with a family member while doing simple chores such as the dishes at night.

Christ is always present to us.... just waiting for us to knock and let Him be a more prominent part of our life? Do we want to knock?