Having a Mary Heart in an Advent Season

– Speaker Cathy Bouchard, Life Member
Advent Retreat Calgary Diocesan CWL Dec. 2, 2023>

Slide 1 “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” In the midst of the
busiest month of the year, the Church invites us to focus our minds and hearts on the coming of
Christ.

Slide 2 We have chosen the theme of “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha Season” as the focus
our Advent retreat and preparations.

Slide 3 READING

Slide 4 One day, the fullness of life and truth came walking into the living room of a pair of sisters named Martha and Mary.  They immediately recognized the privilege of having Jesus in their home and set to work fulfilling the sacred duty of hospitality.

The problem was, they had conflicting ideas of what that duty entailed.  Martha’s response is very recognizable, especially among Catholic Women’s’ League members.  “Bring out the tea and coffee, the wine (what kind do you prefer?), make sure the china and silverware are laid out in proper order, get out a full assortment of hot and cold snacks.”

Mary thought that the supreme compliment that she could pay to her divine guest, even more than world-class refreshments, was to give him her full attention.  The fullness of truth had come to her home to nourish, enlighten, and transform her.  Not to receive and unwrap this wonderful gift would be an insult to the giver.

Martha’s mistake was not that she attended to the guest’s bodily needs.  Martha’s problem was that she allowed the activity of hospitality to become a distraction.  She couldn’t see the forest for the trees.  She lost her focus and actually got mad that her sister would not join her in her frenetic fussing.

Mary kept her focus.  She was not passive – attentiveness to the fullness of truth is supremely active.  That’s why the contemplative, monastic life has always been held in the highest esteem in the Catholic Church.

We live in the most distracted, frenetic society of all time.  It is tempting in such a society to think we are good Christians and deserve applause because we look God from time to time out of the corner of our eye.

But the fullness of truth, the fullness of life, the fullness of grace deserves our full attention.

Jesus really cannot be merely a part of one’s life, but must be the center of one’s life.  It does not mean that our life can’t be full of activities.  But unless we preserve some quiet time each day to sit at his feet as did Mary, our action will become distraction and we’ll be as snappy and unhappy as Martha.
Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D.
https//www.catholicmom.com/articles////martha-and-mary-th-sunday-of-the-year-cycle-c

Slide 5 In the story of Mary and Martha from Luke we reflect on how these 2 sisters responded to the visit of their friend Jesus. Mary took the better part of listening and being in God’s presence – she was abiding. Martha was busy serving, which in itself is not a bad thing nevertheless Jesus counsels Martha that she is anxious and not attentive. While striving to be the best hostess to Jesus, and probably a number of his disciples, Martha misses the richness of this visit; the long-awaited Word of the Messiah.