Actively Contemplative, Contemplatively Active

Fr. Paul Donlan's meditation on the Gospel of Luke’s story of Martha and Mary of Bethany, highlights the tension between active service and contemplative prayer. Martha as the competent, bustling hostess and Mary as the attentive listener at Jesus’ feet. Martha’s frustration at Mary’s lack of help leads her to complain—even command—Jesus, to which He gently responds that Mary has chosen “the better part.” Traditionally, Martha has represented the active life and Mary the contemplative, but that Christians are called to integrate both: to live “actively contemplative and contemplatively active.” Fr. Paul warns against “activism,” which loses interior connection to Christ, and urges cultivating an inner contemplative spirit even amid daily duties, whether family tasks, professional work, or in the daily commute - transforming ordinary moments into prayer. Stories of saints like Josemaría Escrivá and images of the Holy Family illustrate how everyday work can be suffused with awareness of God. Ultimately, combining service with contemplation becomes a prayerful offering to Christ.