Luke, in a story unique to his Gospel, gives an account of a remarkable and beautiful incident in Jesus’ life. Mary of Magdalene is traditionally associated with the Mary before us today but scholars think that it is unlikely to be the same person, believing this woman to be Mary of Bethany. What is clear is that, like Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany loved the Lord. In this account, she did not wash his feet with her weeping or anoint his body with expensive nard but she showed that one thing was needed, and that was to sit at the Master’s feet and learn from him.
There has always been a tension between the contemplative arm and the apostolic arm of the Church. The contemplatives are accused of being too focused on prayer whereas the apostolics are criticized for being too preoccupied with social action and not placing enough emphasis on the interior life. Of course, this is too simplistic but, nevertheless, there is an element of truth in it. It is, however, hard not to feel some sympathy for Martha, who in this understanding embodies the apostolic approach. Mary can come across as a kind of ‘goody two shoes’ (and nobody likes a ‘goody two shoes’). Martha, on the other hand, has no airs and graces; she is a worker and not a shirker. Clearly both women were serving the Lord, but Mary, in Jesus’ own words, chose what is better. This doesn’t mean that what Martha was doing in that moment wasn’t good or noble or worthy, or even the right thing for her to be doing: it simply means that ultimately sitting at the Lord’s feet and learning from him who is humble and gentle of heart is the goal of our faith.