Meditation Lk 10,38-42

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace: I will beg God our Lord that all my intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Jesus has come to Martha’s house. There was also her sister Mary. Marta is busy in serving, probably she is preparing and serving meal. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet and she is  listening to Him. Try to see what you are doing.

Ask for the fruit of meditation: I ask for my desire and my ability to listen to God and the other person 

1. Jesus is a guest at Martha’s and Mary’s house. Martha as a housewife is burdened with much serving,  which as she feels, will serve as the best service to Jesus. She doesn’t thing about  Jesus expects. She is full of anxiety, her thoughts. She can not hear Jesus, she can not know Jesus desires. It does not mean that she does not love Jesus, but we can say that she loves him on  her way. Our love requires us to cross ourselves, to move beyond ourselves , to focus our attention on the other person, because it only makes us possible to know the others. It is necessary to listen to people not only by the ears, but we should listen to others by our heart. You have to make a space for those you listen to, you have to silence your thoughts, forget about your? to hear and accept the others YOU.

Listening is like serving others. So how do you serve others by your listening? What is your listening: what and / or whom do you listen to? What is your will to hear what the other person wants to tell you? What is your openness of accepting another person, even if you disagree with him? What is your desire to listen to God?

2. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her. Mary made the right choice. She discerned, it was her decision. Martha probably ran into another job without any prior activity. But Mary chose correctly thanks to the discernment . Discernment is based on prayer and listening: ourselves and our desires;  the others to objectify the matter;  God – to feel the desires through which God speaks to us and see what will be more good.

How do you make choices in your life? How do you listen to others, God, when making decisions? What  much time do you give yourself to make a choice?

 3. Let yourself sit at Jesus feet. Make in yourself a space for Him, His Words. Calm down your thoughts, focus your all attention on Jesus. Look into His eyes and awaken in you the desire to hear Him. What do you hear?  

Meditation: St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar,such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)