What St Mary Magdalene teaches us by sitting at Jesus' feet
Mary Magdalene, guided by a perfect instinct for what pleased Christ, chose to sit at His feet and listen—securing the 'best part' that could never be taken away.
Mary Magdalene, guided by a perfect instinct for what pleased Christ, chose to sit at His feet and listen—securing the 'best part' that could never be taken away.
Editor’s Notes
In this second part of the mini-series on the Gospel traditionally read on the Assumption – that of the different “choices” of Ss Martha and Mary – Fr Coleridge tells us:
How Mary Magdalene’s perfect instinct led her to choose the better part.
That her choice shows the soul’s duty to prefer Christ’s word over all else.
Why Christ’s defence of Mary reveals the permanence of spiritual goods.
This episode shows us that deliberate love of His presence surpasses even the busiest works done for Him.
For more on the context of this Gospel passage, and its relation to the Feast of the Assumption, see the Editor’s Notes to Part I.
And for more on whether Mary of Bethany should be identified with Mary Magdalene or not, see below:
The Choice of Magdalene
The Preaching of the Cross, Part I, Chapter XIX
St. Luke x. 38-42
Story of the Gospels, § 101
Burns and Oates, London, 1886
What St Martha’s bustling zeal teaches about spiritual priorities
Why does the Church recall St Mary Magdalene at the Assumption?
How Martha was corrected by Our Lord
All through the Gospel history there is no soul spoken of, after His Blessed Mother, who seems to have had so perfect an instinct as to what would please Him most as being in itself the best, as Mary Magdalene.
It may have been many weeks since she had been near Him, and, in any case, her chosen place was at His feet, to which she had already been led, by that beautiful instinct of which we speak, to water with her tears and then wipe with the luxuriant hair which had been a snare to herself and others. Our Lord did not forbid her, when she took her place there, and as His conversation flowed on, whether addressed to her or to others, she sat on, listening and feeding her soul, forgetting, perhaps, Martha and her service altogether.
Or if she did not forget them, she felt sure that when it was His will she should leave that blessed spot, He would either cease His discourse, or bid her give herself to a service which was better for the moment even than that. And so we may suppose that the incident would have ended, but that Martha’s over-eagerness grew upon her to such an extent, as to lead her to plead lovingly with our Lord that He would release her sister in order to render herself help.
Her complaint
‘She stood, and said, Lord, hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Speak to her, therefore, that she help me.’
Martha had too much reverence for our Lord to speak to her sister in His presence in any upbraiding way. Her words show that she understood that Mary was perfectly protected, so to say, and excused by the fact that our Lord went on conversing with her as a listener.
It shows the freedom which He allowed to His Apostles and dear friends, that if she did not interrupt Him, at least she took an opportunity of a pause to speak uninvited. The Evangelist says that she stood, apparently pausing in her occupation in a marked way to attract attention, and the Greek word implies that she came and, as it were, stood over or behind her sister.
She had said to herself, over and over again, that the Master would not allow Mary to remain idle while she herself was working. And now, when her patience was strained, she spoke freely, making a gentle and touching complaint that He was absorbing Mary’s whole attention, while there was work to be done for which she was needed, and asked Him to tell her to come and help her.
Perhaps Mary had wondered how her sister could attend to anything but the words of our Lord as long as He chose to speak, but, as was her way, she left it to Him to call Martha to His feet as well as herself. She did not think of suggesting to Him to bid Martha leave the business she had on hand to others, for the sake of hearing His discourse.
And how did Our Lord answer?
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