by Fr Ian
The primacy of prayer
Prayer has primacy in the life of Christian discipleship first of all in the sense of priority: it comes first and constitutes the foundation on which all other elements of Christian life are built.
It has primacy also in the sense of being, ultimately, the most important activity in Christian life. Of course Christians must give concrete expression to their love of neighbour and their commitment to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. But we also have to take to heart Jesus’ important teaching during his visit to his friends Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42).
While Martha made agitated efforts to serve Jesus, Mary sat quietly and conversed with him and listened to him.
Christian tradition has always interpreted Jesus’ remarks on this occasion as affirming the greater necessity of contemplation over activity. Attentiveness to God, adoration of God and listening to God have to come first, before acts of practical love and service of God and neighbour. Jesus taught Martha this lesson by reprimanding her gently, suggesting that in her state of fuss and distraction she was neglecting ‘the one needful thing’. Mary, by contrast, had chosen ‘the good portion’.