Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for. Today is the feast of St. Martha.

Luke relates this story. Jesus came to a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called

Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted

with all the serving, said, Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the serving all by myself?

"'Please tell her to help me.'

"'But the Lord answered, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about so many things,

"'yet only one thing is necessary.

"'Indeed, only one.

It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.

Quite a story to kick off Martha's Feast Day, right?

Here Martha is reproved by Jesus because she is worried about so many things

while Mary is praised for recognizing the one thing necessary, listening at the feet of Jesus in prayer.

Now we tend to look at this story and think Martha was entirely in the wrong.

But let's not miss the important fact that if it was all up to Mary,

Jesus probably wouldn't have been at their house in the first place.

Why? Because Martha was the one who paid attention to the details.

Martha was probably the one who invited Jesus and gave him hospitality.

And as a result, Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus became some of the best friends of Jesus.

Oh, and by the way, it was probably as a result of the hospitality and friendship that led Jesus to raise their brother Lazarus from the dead, and they all became saints.

St. Martha is a great reminder that God's original plan, which is still in effect, is that faith

would be passed on from parents to children and from friends to friends. This was to take place

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