2025 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Focus on the One Thing Necessary

Let me invite you to reflect with me on the lessons of our readings today, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, focusing on the first reading from the Book of Genesis and from the Gospel according to Luke. Let me begin with a story.

A primary school teacher asked her pupils to write a short essay on the question, A wish you want from God. And at the end of the class, the teacher collected all the essays given by her pupils and she took them home, sat down, read them to Mark to give them their grades. And while reading the essay, she came across a very strange essay written by one of his pupils. That essay made her very emotional and her husband noticed it, sat beside her and saw she was crying. So the husband asked her, What happened? What is making you cry? She answered, I assigned an essay today about what each of my pupils wished God would give them. I just read this one. And then she read:

Oh God, make me a television I want to live like the TV in my house. In my house, the TV is very important. All of my family members sit around it. They are very interested in it. When the TV is talking, my parents listen to it very happily. They don’t shout at the TV. They don’t quarrel with the TV. They don’t slap the TV. So I want to become the TV.
The TV is the center of attention in my house. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives from my parents. When my dad and mom come home, they immediately sit in front of the TV, switch it on and spend hours watching it. If I become a TV, then they will spend their time with me. While watching the TV, my parents laugh a lot. And they smile many times. But I want my parents to laugh and smile with me also. So please God, make me a TV. And last but not the least, if I become a TV, surely I can make my parents happy and entertain them. Lord, I won’t ask you for anything more. I just want to live like a TV. Please turn me into a TV.

The husband reacted. He said, My God, poor kid. He feels lonely. He did not receive enough love and care from his parents. His parents are horrible. And his wife cried. She looked at her husband and said, Our son wrote this essay.

If I could summarize the lessons of our readings today, it would be three words. Attention. Devotion. Dedication.

The first reading is the story of Abraham and Sarah and what they did to the three strangers who passed by their tent. Three visitors appeared unexpectedly before Abraham’s tent. And Abraham offered them not only their tent as a place they could rest, they also prepared a special meal for them. They are attentive, devoted, dedicated to these three strangers.

And their care and devotion, attention was rewarded because the three strangers apparently are actually angels of God. They brought Abraham and Sarah a message from God that despite their old age, they will soon have a son within a year.

The gospel tells us the Martha and Mary story. Like Abraham, in the first reading, Martha and Mary were attentive, devoted, dedicated. One day, the Lord Jesus visited them in their house. Martha and Mary did not waste any time. They gave Jesus their attention, their devotion, their dedication. But here is why this story is a little controversial. Because Jesus seemed to have put more importance to what Mary did over to what Martha has been doing.

The question is, what is wrong? With Martha serving Jesus by preparing a special meal for Him. Martha was so dedicated. She was so devoted to preparing a special meal for Jesus. She was trying to do her part. She was very involved. So what is the issue? Listen to the Lord’s response.

Martha, Martha, you are very anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part. What is the issue? What is the problem? Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. The problem was Martha was focused on these little things. She was focused on these. She was focused on that. She was focused here. She was focused there.

She was doing many little things. She forgot the Latin. It is even more clear in Latin. She forgot the “uno necessario”. The one thing necessary. The one thing most important. The Lord. The love of the Lord.

Let me go back to my story about the primary school teacher. What Martha forgot and Mary was able to do is to give Jesus her whole attention. Devotion and focus. Focus.

And so I invite you to reflect on the response for a moment. How is my life in the light of this? Am I like a monkey jumping from one tree to another aimlessly without focus? Busy with many little things. Forgetting the uno necessario.

The one thing necessary. The Lord. The love of the Lord.