Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/607

 art careful  and  troubled  about  many  things! one thing  only  is necessary. Mary hath  chosen  the  best  part,  which  shall  not  be taken  away  from  her.”

The Love  of  God. The  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan  gave  us  an example  of  the  love  of  our  neighbour. In Martha  and  Mary  we  have a model of  the  true  love  of  God. Both sisters  loved  our  Divine  Lord, but they  showed  their  love  in  different  ways. Mary was  all  absorbed, listening to  and  meditating  on  His  words;  and,  carried  out  of  herself by her  love  of  Him,  she  forgot  everything  else. Martha, on  the  other hand, was  taken  up  with  active  work  in  His  service,  and  could  only think of  how  she  might  most  perfectly  minister  to  His  wants. Martha spent herself  in  her  efforts  to  prepare  food  for  our  Lord,  while  Mary was entirely  occupied  in  being  fed  by  Him. We can  and  we  ought to learn  lessons  from  both  sisters. Like Martha  we  ought  to  do  our best to  fulfil  the  duties  of  our  state  of  life: but  we  should  not,  on  this account, neglect  to  hear  and  meditate  on  the  divine  word. “These things you  ought  to  have  done,  and  not  leave  those  undone”  (Mat.  23,  23). Pray and  work!

Works of  mercy.  We  cannot,  as  Martha  did,  minister  to  the  wants of our  Lord  Himself,  but  we  can  and  ought  to  minister  to  Him  in  the person of  His  brethren,  the  poor  and  the  sick; for  whatever  we  do  for these we  do  for  Him  (chapter  LXIII).

The one  thing  needful.  Men  are  taken  up  with  a multitude  of  busy occupations, and  yet  a great  many  of  these  are  quite  unnecessary. There is, however,  one  occupation  absolutely  necessary  and  indispensable  for each one  of  us,  namely,  to  love  God  and  to  care  for  our  salvation. To save our  souls  and  to  win  heaven  is  the  highest  and  last  end,  to  which every other  object  must  give  way. Christian self-love  consists  in  caring for the  salvation  of  our  souls  before  all  things.

Our Lady  the  perfect  Mary  and  Martha.  Mary,  the  Mother  of God,  all  her  life  through  practised  most  perfectly  those  virtues  for  which