Every three years during Lent we hear the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. With his usual flair for story-telling, John weaves his theology into this encounter between Jesus and a woman of ill repute. Jesus takes the initiative and befriends the woman. From a casual exchange of pleasantries, the conversation moves on to more serious matters and finally the woman recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. In fact she runs off into the village and invites her fellow villagers to come and meet Jesus. She becomes an apostle of the Good News.
A few years ago on a busy morning I was driving to Queen of All Saints Basilica during rush hour when I noticed something. We were coming to some construction and the two lanes were merging into one. I am usually a calm person who does not get upset very easily. However, the way some people drive really gets to me. While many of us were in the left lane patiently waiting, some drivers thought they were smarter than all of us. They tried to get ahead of everyone by cutting in. I would have loved to block their progress. Thank God, I didn’t. As I was trying to calm myself down, I wondered why people were in such a hurry.
As I sit at my computer writing my weekly column, I am thinking of a story in Luke’s gospel that speaks of two sisters. We heard that story during Sunday liturgy a few weeks ago. It tells us how Martha and Mary entertained Jesus in their home. Martha was anxious about many things because she wanted everything to be “perfect” for Jesus. In certain circles she has been unjustly belittled because Mary had “chosen the better part.” I do not believe Jesus intended to dismiss Martha’s place in the kingdom. I am sure the Lord enjoyed Martha’s hospitality and culinary prowess. We too need to acknowledge the Martha’s that serve among us. Where will our parishes be without the numerous Martha’ s – both men and women – who forget themselves and occupy themselves with a million details?
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Born in India to deeply-committed Catholic parents, Fr Britto is one of seven children. He joined the Salesians of Don Bosco as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1981.
After he completed his priestly formation and his early education in India, he came to the US for his graduate degree in Journalism at...Read more...
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