It was 37 degrees when Robert’s pickup rumbled into the lane this morning, its headlights like little suns in the cold mist. I wrapped my scarf tight and lifted Mini up first—she gave a shiver but looked proud to be going to church all the same. Sister Mary Claire climbed in beside me, and we huddled close on the seat while Robert said the heater was “trying its best.” You could see our breath in the cab, curling up like little prayers.
The fields looked sleepy under a gray sky, and the fence posts were tipped with frost. By the time we reached St. Mary’s, the bell was already ringing, and it felt so good to step into the warm air that smelled faintly of candles and pine polish.
The Gospel reading was from Luke 10:38–42—about Jesus visiting Martha and Mary. Mary sat quietly at His feet, listening, while Martha hurried about with all the serving. When Martha asked Jesus to tell her sister to help, He gently said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.”
Father LeRoy spoke softly in his homily today. He said Martha’s work was good and necessary, but her heart was too restless. He told us that Jesus doesn’t want us to stop serving—but to serve with peace, not worry. “The better part,” he said, “is to sit close to Christ in all you do—to make every chore, every kindness, a way of listening to Him.”
Sister Mary Claire smiled at that, and I thought how much she reminds me of both sisters—Martha in her busy hands and Mary in her quiet prayers. On the ride home, Robert said the creek had skim ice already, and Mini pressed her nose to the cold window like she was checking for herself.
I think I’ll try to be more like Mary this week—listening while I work, letting my heart stay still even when my hands are busy.
Love, Kathy
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