Take some time at dinner one night this week to read this fun fact and then discuss some of the questions.
Did you know...
…that in this week's gospel Jesus uses words with the same Greek root to criticize Martha's actions and to praise Mary's. This week we hear the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. While Mary sits at Jesus' feet, Martha distractedly goes about taking care of everyone. Finally she interrupts Jesus to ask why he doesn't care that Mary isn't helping. Jesus responds, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing."
In the original Greek the word translated here as worried is μεριμνάω (merimnao), Which comes from the word μέρος (meros), meaning "part, portion, or share." The idea is that when a person is worried they are feeling "divided into parts," or "going to pieces" or "pulled apart" on the inside. His final words to Martha are, "Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." This word "part" that Jesus uses is the Greek word μερίς (meris) and it also comes from the word μέρος (meros), the same root as the word for "worry." Aren't words interesting!
Questions for Discussion:
1) What is something that you worry about?
2) What does it feel like on the inside when you worry? Where do you feel it in your body? Does it feel like you are all "divided into parts" when you worry?
3) What is something that helps stop worrying?