Parish Bulletins

This Week in the Bulletin:

 bulletin 20.07.2025

One Necessary Thing

This story of the conflict between Martha and Mary has often been interpreted as an account of the play between the active and the contemplative life, Jesus signaling his preference for the latter over the former. But I don't think that reading gets to the whole heart of it. It is rather a narrative concerning the spiritual problem of the one and the many.
Martha complains that her sister is not helping her with the numerous and time-consuming tasks of hospitality. Martha's problem is not that she is busy or that she is engaging in the "active" life; her problem is that she is uncentered. Her mind, quite obviously, is divided, drifting from this concern to that, from one anxiety to another; there are many things that preoccupy her.
What Mary has chosen is not so much the contemplative life, but the focused life. She is anchored, rooted in the unum necessarium (one necessary thing). The implication seems to be that, were Mary to help with the many household tasks, she would not be "worried and distracted" by them, since she could relate them to the center, and that, were Martha to sit at the feet of Jesus, she would still squirm with impatience, since her spirit is divided.
As is so often the case in the spiritual life, the issue is not what they're doing, but how they're doing it. Indeed, the surest sign that something is off in Martha's soul is that she even tells God what to do!
There is a cacophony of voices calling out to you; there are a thousand influences pulling you this way and that. What's the one necessary thing? It is to listen to the voice of Jesus as he tells you of his love and as he tells you who you are.
The Word on Fire Bible Bishop Robert Barron

For more of the bulletin click on the following links: 

Bulletin 20 July 2025
Bulletin 13 July 2025
Bulletin 6 July 2025
Bulletin 29 June 2025
Bulletin 22 June 2025
Bulletin 15 June 2025
Bulletin 8 June 2025
Bulletin 1 June 2025
Bulletin 25 May 2025
Bulletin 18 May 2025
Bulletin 11 May 2025
Bulletin 4 May 2025 
Bulletin 27 April 2025
Bulletin 20 April 2025 
Bulletin 13 April 2025
Bulletin 6 April 2025 
Bulletin 30 March 2025 
Bulletin 23 March 2025
Bulletin 16 March 2025
Bulletin 9 March 2025
Bulletin 2 March 2025
Bulletin 23 February 2025
Bulletin 16 February 2025 
Bulletin 9 February 2025
Bulletin 2 February 2025
Bulletin 26 January 2025
Bulletin 19 January 2025
Bulletin 12 January 2025
Bulletin 5 January 2025

Bulletin 29 December 2024
Bulletin 22 December 2024
Bulletin 15 December 2024
Bulletin 8 December 2024
Bulletin 1 December 2024
Bulletin 24 November 2024
Bulletin 17 November 2024
Bulletin 10 November 2024
Bulletin 3 November 2024 
Bulletin 27 October 2024
Bulletin 20 October 2024
Bulletin 13 October 2024
Bulletin 6 October 2024
Bulletin 29 September 2024
Bulletin 22 September 2024
Bulletin 15 September 2024
Bulletin 8 September 2024
Bulletin 1 September 2024
Bulletin 25 August 2024
Bulletin 18 August 2024
Bulletin 11 August 2024
Bulletin 4 August 2024
Bulletin 28 July 2024 
Bulletin 21 July 2024 
Bulletin 14 July 2024
Bulletin 7 July 2024
Bulletin 30 June 2024 
Bulletin 23 June 2024 
Bulletin 16 June 2024
Bulletin 9 June 2024 
Bulletin 2 June 2024 
Bulletin 26 May 2024 
Bulletin 19 May 2024
Bulletin 12 May 2024
Bulletin 5 May 2024
Bulletin 28 April 2024
Bulletin 21 April 2024
Bulletin 14 April 2024
Bulletin 7 April 2024
Bulletin 31 March 2024 
Bulletin 24 March 2024 
Bulletin 17 March 2024 
Bulletin 10 March 2024 
Bulletin 3 March 2024
Bulletin 25 February 2024 
Bulletin 18 February 2024
Bulletin 11 February 2024
Bulletin 4 February 2024
Bulletin 28 January 2024 
Bulletin 21 January 2024 
Bulletin 14 January 2024
Bulletin 7 January 2024

Bulletin 24 December 2023
Bulletin 17 December 2023
Bulletin 10 December 2023
Bulletin 3 December 2023
Bulletin 26 November 2023 
Bulletin 19 November 2023
Bulletin 12 November 2023
Bulletin 5 November 2023
Bulletin 29 October 2023
Bulletin 22 October 2023 
Bulletin 15 October 2023 
Bulletin 8 October 2023
Bulletin 1 October 2023
Bulletin 24 September 2023 
Bulletin 17 September 2023
Bulletin 10 September 2023
Bulletin 3 September 2023
Bulletin 27 August 2023
Bulletin 20 August 2023
Bulletin 13 August 2023
Bulletin 6 August 2023
Bulletin 30 July 2023
Bulletin 23 July 2023
Bulletin 16 July 2023
Bulletin 9 July 2023
Bulletin 2 July 2023
Bulletin 25 June 2023
Bulletin 18 June 2023
Bulletin 11 June 2023
Bulletin 4 June 2023
Bulletin 28 May 2023
Bulletin 21 May 2023
Bulletin 14 May 2023