“Are You a Martha or Mary?”
Luke 10:38-42
July 20, 2025
Rev. Annie Watson, Holy Family Catholic Church
“Am I more of a Martha or a Mary?” I really don’t know. It seems like a false choice to me. Why can’t we be both at different times, or a little of both at all times?
I’m never going to be a “Martha only” or “Mary only” type of person. Like you, I have a lot of responsibilities that take up a lot of my time—but I’m not complaining. I may be here with you as a woman priest, but I’m also a pastor’s spouse, a daughter, sister, mom, and dog mom. My day is spent doing a lot of Martha stuff (which never ends) while hoping to squeeze in a little Mary time.
Sometimes I get to be both Mary and Martha in the way they are presented in this story. There are times when, like Mary, I get to sit and relax at Jesus’ feet, ponder the mysteries of faith, and find some spiritual nourishment.
There are also times when, like Martha, I get to host others at my home, lead retreats, serve this parish, or anything else I can do to serve others who have come for spiritual nourishment. I love to do both. As long as Jesus is the focal point of my day, I’m okay serving and doing or listening and praying.
When I’m here, whether standing here in the pulpit, serving at the altar, or sitting in the pews, I feel blessed and humbled. I stand with all of you as sisters and brothers in Christ.
I have been doing this for ten years now. What I have learned is that in the end, either as a Mary or a Martha, only kindness matters. I have learned that we should share love in everything we do. I have learned that we should become less selfish, more open, and more present to others. I have learned that our faith should be like a fine work of art and that prayer is essential,meditation is required, and action is a must.
The spirit of Mary and Martha resides in each one of us. If we are more like Mary, we should not stop the Martha’s among us. If we are more like Martha, we should not sweep the Mary’saway.
If we honor both of these impulses within us, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. This is a journey, a chance to change our lives, change our communities, and even changehistory. Just being here is a chance for all of us, men and women alike, to feel embraced by God’s love and grace. And we can do this by serving others or sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Before I became a woman priest, I was a “cradle Catholic”—actually, I still am. I have taught classes for children and youth, served as a Eucharistic minister, and engaged in hospital ministry, visiting and praying for the sick.
In 2015 I joined the women’s priest movement and have dedicated myself to this cause with time, talent, and treasure. Inall that time, I have helped my husband in his Protestant congregations, and I have given as much of myself as possible to several independent Catholic communities, in places like Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis and Bloomington, Indiana, St. Louis, Missouri, and here at Holy Family in Austin.
When I reflect on these various Christ-centered communities,and my role in them, I am reminded of the South African notion of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is roughly translated as “human kindness.” But it means more than that. It means we are all in this together.There can only be kindness while we are in community.
There is an old saying that is based on the Ubuntu philosophy: “It takes a village to raise a child.” It also means that “a person is a person through other people,” which includes Mary’s and Martha’s and everyone in between.
For the beloved South African, Nelson Mandela, Ubuntu meant, “I am human because I belong, I participate, I share; in essence I am because you are.”
The Mary’s in this room are Mary’s because the Martha’s serve others and make it possible for everyone to meet at Jesus’ feet. The Martha’s in this room are Martha’s because the Mary’s keep everyone focused on the One who has gathered us together in the first place. This is Ubuntu.
May we honor the spirit of Mary and Martha within each one of us. May we learn to be in the role that is needed in each moment for the benefit of everyone. Amen.
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