Today's Gospel

Cure Your Anxiety

I'm Matthew Kelly, and welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where each day we explore the genius of the Gospel and look for ways to apply it to our lives. Today's reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 38 through 42. It's the story of Jesus visiting Martha and Maryland. And there are certain stories in the gospels that we are very familiar with, we have heard many, many times in our lives. And when those stories come up, when we're reading those stories, when we're listening to those stories either here or in church, it's important to focus in, especially because it's easy just to glide through stories we're familiar with. That's why you're looking for just a word or a phrase or an idea because it doesn't matter. You hear a story a thousand times. Based on what is happening in your life at that moment, there's always going to be a word or a phrase or an idea that jumps out at you to encourage you, to challenge you.

Now, as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she went to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part and it shall not be taken from her." What jumps out at you today? The phrase that jumps out of me today is, you are anxious and troubled about many things. Seems to be a growing anxiety in our culture. Seems to be just this constant sort of low-grade anxiety in our lives because we are in such a hurry because we do have such, so much going on. Because to-do lists are in this because we do feel overwhelmed, because we do over-commit ourselves, because we do say yes to stuff we should be saying no to, because we don't stop and listen to the voice of God in our lives. We don't ask him, "What do you want me to do? What don't you want me to do?" We don't consult him enough. And so we are anxious and troubled with many things. And Jesus wants to strip away the nonessential. He wants to strip away the stuff that isn't important. Most of all, he wants to strip away the stuff that isn't for us.

I get to the end of the day sometimes and I'm like, I still got these six things to do. And what I know for certain is that God created 24 hours in a day, and God is not going to give me more to do in a day than is possible. So then I have to look at my day and I'm like, okay, I've still got these six things to do. What did I do today that wasn't in God's gracious will? And why did I do it? Was it just ego? Was it, oh, I did that thing. Why did I do that thing? Well, that was just selfishness. And I did that thing, too. Why did I do that thing? Well, that was just ego. And to look back on the day and realize, wow, I'm anxious and I'm troubled at the end of the day because I got these things I still need to do, but it's because I was doing the wrong things throughout the day. I wasn't listening to the voice of God in my life. I wasn't following his will and direction. Are you anxious? Are you troubled? What are you doing that isn't of God? What are you doing that isn't what God wants you to be doing? Just think about that as we go into the world today. Just be observant. How anxious are we? How overwhelmed do we feel? How busy do we feel? How much in a hurry do we feel? Have a great day. And remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.