語言

Franciscan at Home

Forming those who form others

Inspired Through Art: Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Jan Vermeer, 1655

In the Gospels, the sisters Martha and Mary are described as friends of Jesus. In his masterpiece, “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary,” the Dutch master Jan Vermeer paints an extraordinary image of the Gospel scene when Jesus enters the home of his friends. Vermeer’s image offers us a powerful visual homily on what it means to be a friend of Jesus, an invitation that is implicit in all catechetical activity and is the goal of the spiritual life.

A Special Guest
In the tenth chapter of his Gospel, Saint Luke tells us that Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him (10:38-42). Her sister, Mary, sat close to Jesus at his feet, listening attentively to his words. In frustration, Martha, burdened and distracted with multiple tasks of hospitality, comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”

Jesus responds with powerful words, “Martha, Martha,” he says, “you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

As a true friend, Jesus listened to Martha’s complaint and then spoke plainly and from the heart. Martha had to learn that true hospitality does not merely consist in multi-tasking with its endless distractions and demands. To truly welcome him into her home Martha needed, first and foremost, to encounter Jesus personally, to grow in communion with him through attentive listening. Being in Jesus’ presence was more important than doing many tasks, however necessary they were. Active service of Jesus needs to be rooted in silent contemplation.

The rest of this online article is available for current Guild members.

Join the Guild today!

Jem Sullivan, Ph.D., wife, mother, professor, and catechist, is the author of three books from Our Sunday Visitor, including The Beauty of Faith on Christian art and the new evangelization. She is a regular contributor of art essays in various Catholic publications and appears on ETWN to discuss masterpiece paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where she served as a docent.

This article is from The Catechetical Review (Online Edition ISSN 2379-6324) and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of The Catechetical Review by contacting [email protected]

Categorized Under
Categorized Under: 
Issue: 

Current Issue: Volume 10.4

Designed & Developed by On Fire Media, Inc.