Choosing the Better Part

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, challenge us to contemplate the meaning of Jesus as the resurrection and the life to our journey today.

Contemplate our Action

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah proclaims Jeremiah’s Complaint

i. [15:10] Jer 20:14.

l. [15:17] Ps 25:4.

m. [15:18] Jer 14:19; 30:15.

n. [15:20] Jer 1:18; 6:27. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 59 presents a prayer for vindication.

* [Psalm 59] A lament in two parts (Ps 59:2–9, 11b–17), each ending in a refrain (Ps 59:10, 18). Both parts alternate prayer for vindication (Ps 59:2–3, 4b–5, 11b–14) with vivid depictions of the psalmist’s enemies (Ps 59:4–5a, 7–8, 15–16). The near curse in Ps 59:12–13 is not a crude desire for revenge but a wish that God’s just rule over human affairs be recognized now. (Psalms, PSALM 59 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John begins the presentation of the narrative of the raising of Lazarus.

* [11:1–44] The raising of Lazarus, the longest continuous narrative in John outside of the passion account, is the climax of the signs. It leads directly to the decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus. The theme of life predominates. Lazarus is a token of the real life that Jesus dead and raised will give to all who believe in him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. The story is not found in the synoptics, but cf. Mk 5:21 and parallels; Lk 7:11–17. There are also parallels between this story and Luke’s parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19–31). In both a man named Lazarus dies; in Luke, there is a request that he return to convince his contemporaries of the need for faith and repentance, while in John, Lazarus does return and some believe but others do not. (John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims the faith of Martha and Mary

* [10:38–42] The story of Martha and Mary further illustrates the importance of hearing the words of the teacher and the concern with women in Luke.

* [10:39] Sat beside the Lord at his feet: it is remarkable for first-century Palestinian Judaism that a woman would assume the posture of a disciple at the master’s feet (see also Lk 8:35; Acts 22:3), and it reveals a characteristic attitude of Jesus toward women in this gospel (see Lk 8:2–3).

* [10:42] There is need of only one thing: some ancient versions read, “there is need of few things”; another important, although probably inferior, reading found in some manuscripts is, “there is need of few things, or of one.” (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Gladyce Janky that in the Ignatian tradition, Jesus’ words to Martha are at the heart of the Principle and Foundation: we are created to praise, reverence, and serve God, and everything else in our lives exists to help us toward that end.

When responsibilities, fears, or other distractions begin to pull us away from that purpose, Ignatius calls these disordered attachments—not “bad things,” but good things that have taken precedence over our relationship with God. Martha’s anxiety is not a failure to live up to Jesus’ expectations; it is the human experience of what happens when we overextend ourselves, or we become discouraged and feel hopeless as we witness the injustices of this world. Jesus’ gentle naming of her negative emotions is an invitation to seek interior freedom and ask for the grace to let go of what drains life. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Release your grip on your worries and concerns. You do not need to control outcomes. You have only one responsibility. That is, to hold everything lightly so there is room in your heart to trust me. Recall that everything in existence is already in my Father’s loving hands.” (Janky, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes The Body of Christ needs hearers and doers of the Word, by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"'Virtue does not have a single form. In the example of Martha and Mary, there is added the busy devotion of the one and the pious attention of the other to the Word of God, which, if it agrees with faith, is preferred even to the very works, as it is written: 'Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.' So let us also strive to have what no one can take away from us, so that not careless but diligent hearing may be granted to us. For even the seeds of the heavenly Word itself are likely to be taken away if they are sowed by the wayside (Luke 8:5,12). Let the desire for wisdom lead you as it did Mary. It is a greater and more perfect work. Do not let service divert the knowledge of the heavenly Word... Nor is Martha rebuked in her good serving, but Mary is preferred because she has chosen the better part for herself, for Jesus abounds with many blessings and bestows many gifts. And therefore the wiser chooses what she perceives as foremost."(excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 7.83-86) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects that Jeremiah was called to be a prophet when young and to condemn the infidelity of the people who blamed him for their trouble and he felt abandoned by God. He calls God to task as he couldn’t hold God’s words within yet he gets rejected. God replies not one can defeat you, God will always be there. Like in revelation we are killed but we never will be harmed. The Gospel of John presents the story of Martha meeting Jesus and commenting “Lord my brother would not have died”  This was a rebuke of Jesus' delay and set the stage as Lazarus would be raised to present the miracle of life giving and pulling back faith like ours. Jesus proclaims “I am the resurrection and the life.” Know Jesus and know the full life in a realized eschatology often expressed in this Gospel. Heaven is dawning upon the earth and how much we love is the measure. Martha proclaims that faith Jesus is the Messiah. Friar Jude notes that in the Gospel of John women are often exemplars of faith.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 11:19-27 comments that family life is not always picture-perfect, but if everyone tries to come together in faith, despite their differences, each member can grow in love, both for the Lord and for each other. We know that sometimes it is hard to get all family members to work together, but God can take even the most halting effort and bless it.

Let’s take today’s feast as an opportunity to pray for all families, including our own. May we all take strides to grow closer to each other. May we all take strides to grow closer to the Lord together. And most important, may we all welcome Jesus into our homes and invite him to live with us, just as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus did.

“Lord, be with every family, and help them embrace their calling!” (Meditation on John 11:19-27, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Dr. Richard Beck who acknowledges the temptation to oversimplify our reading of the Bible, but urges us to stay with the tensions it raises.

Let me suggest we emulate how Jesus read the Bible. Let’s imitate how he resolved the tensions in the Old Testament.

For example, the debates between Jesus and the Pharisees concerned the tensions … between the Torah and the prophets. You see this especially in Jesus’s Sabbath observance and his welcoming of sinners. Over and over again in­ these cases, the Pharisees pick Leviticus over the prophets. Ritual purity was chosen over ­human compassion. Jesus, by contrast, privileges the prophets. For Jesus, alleviating human suffering takes priority over Levitical prohibition. Overcoming social marginalization is preferred to religious purity. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to foster a practice of encounter with the Word of God that guides us to choose the better part as we seek to live out our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Janky, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection July 29, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-29-2026 

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/15?10 

John, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/11? 

Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?38 

Meditation on John 11:19-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/29/1634783/ 

Psalms, PSALM 59 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/59?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 29, 2026, fromhttps://cac.org/daily-meditations/choosing-mercy-not-sacrifice/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Are Anxious - One Thing Is Needful. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Penance Providence and Peace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the role of Penance, to reflect on our shortcomings, and how we are called to rely on Providence in our mission to live as an example of Jesus' Way of peace.

Return and Reflection

The Reading from the Book of Ezra proclaims a Penitential Prayer.

* [9:6–15] The prayer attributed to Ezra is a communal confession of sin, of a kind characteristic of the Second Temple period (cf. Neh 9:6–37; Dn 9:4–19; 1QS 1:4–2:1), but adapted to the present situation. (Ezra, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

The response from the Book of Tobit is a hymn of praise.

* [13:1–18] Tobit’s hymn of praise is divided into two parts. The first part (vv. 1–8) is a song of praise that echoes themes from the psalms; (Tobit, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus declares The Mission of the Twelve

* [9:1–6] Armed with the power and authority that Jesus himself has been displaying in the previous episodes, the Twelve are now sent out to continue the work that Jesus has been performing throughout his Galilean ministry: (1) proclaiming the kingdom (Lk 4:43; 8:1); (2) exorcising demons (Lk 4:33–37, 41; 8:26–39) and (3) healing the sick (Lk 4:38–40; 5:12–16, 17–26; 6:6–10; 7:1–10, 17, 22; Lk 8:40–56).

* [9:3] Take nothing for the journey: the absolute detachment required of the disciple (Lk 14:33) leads to complete reliance on God (Lk 12:22–31).

* [9:5] Shake the dust from your feet: see note on Mt 10:14. (Luke, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

Kimberly Grassmeyer comments that Jesus proclaimed His message as widely as one human could in only a few short years, with limited geographic mobility, and prior to the advent of the printing press, or social media.  One Holy man. 

 

That one man then blessed the twelve, giving them the ‘power and authority’ to proclaim and to heal.  (NB, He also instructed them to simply walk away from those whose hearts were not open.  NOT to hate or vilify them, not to “throw shade”, and certainly not to do harm.  Rather, quite simply: “when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them”.)  (Grassmeyer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus gave power and authority to his apostles,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"The grace bestowed upon the holy apostles is worthy of all admiration. But the bountifulness of the Giver surpasses all praise and admiration. He gives them, as I said, his own glory. They receive authority over the evil spirits. They reduce to nothing the pride of the devil that was so highly exalted and arrogant. They render ineffectual the demon's wickedness. By the might and efficacy of the Holy Spirit, burning them as if they were on fire, they make the devil come forth with groans and weeping from those whom he had possessed... He glorified his disciples, therefore, by giving them authority and power over the evil spirits and over sicknesses. Did he honor them without reason and make them famous without any logical cause? How can this be true? It was necessary, most necessary, that they should be able to work miracles, having been publicly appointed ministers of sacred proclamations. By means of their works, they then could convince men that they were the ministers of God and mediators of all beneath the heaven. The apostles then could invite them all to reconciliation and justification by faith and point out the way of salvation and of life that is this justification." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 47) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Ezra calls for penitential practice because the people have turned against God even though they have been returned from exile in Babylon for several generations. Ezra initiates a reform of the practice of religion. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus sends out missionaries and to cast out demons and cure disease. Friar Jude reminds us of their dependence on the Providence of God for hospitality and generosity but to leave the area if they are rejected.

Fr. Mike Schmitz introduces the books of Ezra and Haggai, explaining the Israelites' return to the promised land. He also warns us against apathy and indifference in our relationship with God, as we see Israel display towards the temple. The action of Darius (in Isaiah 45) has been compared to the action of the 45th US President (Donald Trump), by some who see a non-believer acting to free and support believers.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Minister Elle Dowd, an anti-racist white activist, who challenges the notion that being a peacemaker means being “nice”. Dowd reflects on the desire to reduce tension instead of learning what it might have to teach.

Direct action intentionally interrupts our daily flow and rhythm in an attempt to raise tension. This tension isn’t new. It isn’t being created out of thin air. It has always existed for our siblings of color.  

For people of color and other oppressed people, the tension caused by marginalization is ever present with very real consequences…. Racism is like being force-fed a poison. Direct action is what happens when people refuse to drink that poison and instead bring a bottle of it to the doorstep of those force-feeding them and demand that they gaze upon the reality of it.  

Direct action doesn’t create new tension. It redistributes the tension that is already there and puts it back where it belongs—at the source.  

Many people—white people, in particular—have little tolerance for tension. We have been taught to avoid tension. Our conditioning has trained us to recoil from discomfort, to think of it as an inherently bad thing, something to sidestep and evade at all costs. Instead of leaning into tension to see what we can learn from it, we often avoid it. But when we do this, when we turn away from tension, we fail to see the gift that this tension can be in revealing the truth. We miss out on the clarity it brings with it, the opportunity to move forward.  (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit to navigate the tension between responding to our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader and the social prejudice against action supported by Providence.

References

Ezra, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezra/9?5 

Grassmeyer, K. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-24-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Peacemaking Is Not Niceness. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/peacemaking-is-not-niceness/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Gave Them Authority over All Demons and Diseases. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep24 

Tobit, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 24, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/13?2