29 Jul
Thu
St Martha
1 Jn. 4:7-16
Ps. 34:1-10
Jn. 11:19-27 or Lk. 10:38-42
(Psalter proper)
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Martha appears three times in the Gospel. She is the one who complained that her sister, Mary, was not helping in preparing a meal when Jesus was their guest. The answer which Jesus gave her indicated that, while her concern about serving Him was good, Mary was doing the more important thing by spending time listening to Jesus. We, too, can be so active even in Church work that we have no time to pray or reflect on the message of the Gospel. Action is good but it must be action in the right direction and in the right way. Only by spending time listening to the Word of God and reflecting on it do we know the true value of what we are busy about. But it is Martha, too, who makes that wonderful declaration of faith in Jesus that John tells us about: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world." Let that faith be ours too.



Let us pray that we may have both the spirit of Mary and of Martha in living our Christian lives.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That all those who are able to benefit from a holiday period may be helped during their vacation to rediscover in God their inner harmony and to open themselves to the love of human beings.
Elaboration

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