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Gospel Reading for October 06, 2026 – Luke 10: 38-42
JOYFUL HOPE
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
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Was it wrong that Mary wasn’t helping Martha because she chose to listen to what Jesus was saying instead? When Martha complained, Jesus did not say that Mary was wrong, but that Mary chose the better part, which will not be taken away from her.
In the Embolism of the Eucharistic Celebration, or the prayer immediately after the Our Father, the priest recites: “In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”
How can we wait in JOYFUL HOPE when we are too preoccupied with material things and even with things that are not that important? We worry too much about what tomorrow will bring, and so on and so forth. These things bring unnecessary worries and anxieties.
We cannot be JOYFUL and HOPEFUL if we want to always be in control, even of things that have not yet happened. We need to learn to leave all these worries and anxieties in the hands of our Almighty God. He is the Creator, the Conductor of the Orchestra that is Life.
Lord Jesus, may we always remember that your words and your teachings are the best things we can ever hear in life, and living them will give us JOYFUL HOPE for your coming—not only every day in our lives, but also at your second coming. Amen.
