Johannes Vermeer's Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (ca. 1654--1656) famous painting. Original from Wikimedia Commons. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
(Image by Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel from flickr) Details DMCA
Readings for 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 15: 2-5; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10: 38-42
Facing the Final Question
What will you regret most when you're dying?
Chances are, like most people, it won't be that you didn't work hard enough. Instead, you'll wish you'd spent more time with your loved ones-- more dinners with friends, more laughter, more life.
"Every male patient I nursed said the same thing: they missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship."
-- Hospice Nurse
Women often expressed the same sorrow, though many-- especially from older generations-- hadn't been the household breadwinners. Still, the verdict was nearly universal: we've built lives around the treadmill of work, and at the end, that's what we mourn.
A Culture Addicted to Work
Let's be honest: our culture worships overwork.
Especially in the United States, where the average worker puts in three more hours per week than their European counterparts. That's nearly a month more labor every year.
And when it comes to vacation time? The average American takes less than six weeks off per year. The French take nearly twelve. Swedes? Over sixteen.
Into this burnout culture comes today's Gospel reading from Luke-- a bracing call to step back and reconsider our priorities. A reminder that Jesus, too, challenged the grind.
Jesus, the Counter-Cultural Radical
We often forget just how radical Jesus was.
Deepak Chopra, in The Third Jesus, reminds us that Christ actually instructed his followers not to worry about money, food, or the future.
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear."
-- Jesus (Matthew 6:25)
And today's Responsorial Psalm adds more layers. The "Just Person" is praised for refusing to lie, slander, or take bribes. That all sounds virtuous-- nothing shocking there.
But then comes the line:
"They lend not money at usury."
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