LIFE
AT ITS BEST.
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. YEAR C.
(First reading: Genesis 18:1-10) (Second reading: Colossians 1-24-28)
(Gospel: Luke 10:38-42)
July 22, 2007
LIFE AT ITS BEST.
"Mary sat beside the Lord at
his feet
listening to him speak" (Luke 10:39)
A person never lives better than when he is at
the feet of the Lord Jesus.
Being at the feet of Lord means
to be in full communion with him, in total union with him, because the
Lord gives himself totally to all those who come to him, to those who
listen to him, who learn from him.
Living by the teachings of a great teacher may allow us to share in
the knowledge the teacher imparts, but living by the teachings of Jesus
allows to live the life of Jesus himself.
The gospel tells us "Mary
has chosen the better part" (Luke 10:42),
that is to say, Mary chose to be with the Lord and not so much to do
things for him. It was pleasing to Jesus to see someone who would want
to be in union with him, to establish a communion of lives.
That is the kind of union we all need to aim
at in our relationships with our fellow human beings.
For instance, how disappointing would be for some one who visits his
best friend only to find that they could not speak at all because the
friend was busy taking care of the meal.
In our world today, the relationships
between human beings are even more tragic as their encounters are most
of the time for oppression and self destruction.
To place oneself at the feet of the Lord
means to place all our human efforts and aspirations for the purpose
of receiving the life of Jesus himself and living in communion with
all our fellow human beings.
To live life without Jesus is a dangerous proposition,
for without Jesus life becomes a never ending pursuit of self interests,
wealth and power which inevitably end up as tools to be used in the
oppression and destruction of other human beings.
In the gospel we see that Mary has chosen to live
life at its best, she has chosen to listen to the Lord,
to be with him who is the Life. That is the life which "will
not be taken away from us" (Luke 10:42)
Do you want to live life at its best?
