Luke 10:42

But one thing is needfull. The Greek has ε̉νὸς δέ ε̉στιν χζεία; and this "one thing" Christ places in opposition to the "many things" about which Martha was troubled.

What then is this one thing which is needful? Luther, Bullinger, Melancthon, and other like innovators answer, Faith, i.e. to hear the Gospel and to believe in it. For this is what the Magdalene did. Hence they think that faith only is necessary for salvation. Only believe, they say, that you are saved through the merits of Christ, and you will assuredly obtain your salvation. But such a faith is rash and delusive. For blasphemers and evildoers might possess it. Hence, in addition to faith, hope, charity, and good works are necessary for salvation, as is clear from S. Matthew 19:17; 1 Corinthians 13:13, and Holy Scripture generally, and from the example of the Magdalene herself, who not only heard, but was obedient to the word of the Lord. See S. Luke 7:43.

The truer and more orthodox interpretation seems to be that of those who understand by "one thing" one kind of food. Thou art anxious, Martha, to place before me many dishes, but to no purpose, for I require but one. I want not a rich banquet, but only ordinary food, for I am temperate, and a lover of humble fare. I do not blame, but praise your desire to do Me honour, yet I warn you not to be over careful for the things of this life, nor to call your sister away from hearing My words. So Theophylact, S. Gregory, and others.

Hear also S. Basil. "There is need of few things, or rather of but one. Of few things as far as preparations are concerned, but of one object for the supply of our need;" and Titus, "We came not hither to fill ourselves with superfluous food, for nature is content with little." Similarly Theophylact says, "One thing is needful: we must eat something, but we need not varieties of food," i.e. according to the Arabic version, "That which is necessary for us we can easily obtain."

2. But in a higher sense, the one thing needful is the love of God, and the desire of salvation. This was the good part which Mary had chosen; and therefore, explaining the one thing needful, Christ goes on to say, "Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

The meaning is, therefore, this: Thou, Martha, art troubled about many things, but I exhort thee to devote thyself to one thing alone, to seek to please God, and Him only, in every action of thy life, and to do everything out of love towards Him. So, not attempting that which thou art unable to perform, thou wilt be enabled to serve God quietly and without fear, and to accomplish whatsoever He would have thee to do. Bede, Euthymius, and others.

Hence S. Augustine and S. Gregory say, "This one thing is the end and chief good of men, on which their minds should be ever fixed;" and Cassian says, "The one thing needful is a mind which, regardless of all else, is fixed on God alone, and rejoices in the contemplation of His perfections." For although divine contemplation is not necessary for salvation it is necessary for the perfection of those who are united to God by a holy life. So the Psalmist says, Psalms 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." And S. Paul, Philippians 3:13-14, "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." And again, Esther xiv. 18, "Thine handmaid hath never rejoiced since I was brought hither, unto this day, but in thee, 0 Lord, the God of Abraham." Douay. For Christ saith, S. John 17:3, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."

Wherefore, when S. Ægidius, a very holy man, one of the first followers of S. Francis, was asked the way to holiness and perfection, he answered, "Una uni." Let your whole mind be entirely given up to God, and one with Him. For unity is contrary to division, and God is one. Wherefore let him who seeks God return to unity with Him, for God must be sought by conformity of will, and by the union of the intellect and affections. S. Bernard (serm. 7 in Cant.)

Hence S. Augustine (lib. ii, 18 De Ordine.) proves by induction that all things tend to one, because, as he shows, "Unity or singleness is the first fruit of God, who is the first essential and uncreated unity, the origin and fount of all other unities;" and in a later chapter he dwells upon the beauty of unity.

In short, the one thing needful is God. All other things contingent and immaterial, created by the good pleasure of God out of nothing; and as, to quote the proverb, he who pursues two hares catches neither, so he who strives to please God and the world fails to attain either object.

Figuratively, this "one thing" is to be acquired by meditation and prayer, for thus men are brought into communion with God. Hence he who would lead a religious life should seek this one thing only, so as to be thereby drawn into union with the Almighty. S. Dionysius and Climacus. "A monk is one who always has his soul lifted up to God; one who prays at all times, at all places, and on all occasions;" and S. Chrysostom says, "Prayer is the heart and soul of a perfect and religious life;" and S. Bonaventura (De perfectione vitæ, chap. 5), declares that "If any one who has taken the vows of a religious life omits frequent prayer, his soul is dead within him, or in other words he is like a body without a soul, having the outward form and religion, but lacking its inward grace." And again, "Without abundant prayer religion becomes languid and weak. Why, unhappy spirit, dost thou wander through many places, seeking rest and finding none? Set thy affections on Him, of whom are all things, and in Him thou wilt rest happy and content. For He will satisfy thee with good things, and give thee to drink out of His pleasures as out of a river."

Hear also what Epictetus says to Arrian: "All first principles must, as if the world were turned upside down, return to one all beauty, truth, and everything which is good, to one origin everything divine to one God, all unity to the Triune." For unity, the beginning of things, goodness, truth and God are the same, and therefore one. Hence we read, Song of Solomon 2:16, "My beloved to me, and I to Him," for the Bride makes entire surrender of herself to her spouse; and so the saints desire to put off the flesh, that their souls may be united with God. So S. Paul was willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (2Co 5:8); and Simeon, "Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word;" and the Psalmist, "Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech." Psalms 120:5.

S. Basil speaks of some who abhorred this life, as if it were a dark prison, and with difficulty restrained their desire (ὸζγαι̃ς) for release, because their hearts were filled with the love of God, and eager to gaze upon the divine perfections: they longed for the time when they might for ever contemplate the loving kindness of the Lord.

So this blessed rest is to the wise a time of working, and the mind which has once been absorbed in the contemplation of the divinity, sustains itself on God and is sustained by Him.

Wherefore David says, Psalms 47:2, "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?"

Symbolically, unity is the beginning and end of all numbers, for every number commences and ends in it whilst it is independent and indivisible.

So God is the beginning and ending of all things, the Alpha and Omega (Rev 21:6), who shutteth and openeth all things, before whom and after whom there is nothing. Who was from all eternity, through whom and by whom all things exist. Hence Plato says, "All things spring from the divine unity, and retain the trace of their origin, by means of which they are recalled to this unity, and perfected in it;" and considers unity to be God, in whom all things exist as branches from the root.

Again, where sin is there is division; but where virtue, there oneness where love, there unity. Therefore let him who seeks after virtue love one thing, and seek also for unity. For Christ, the teacher of unity, wills to join us together in one Church and unite us to Himself.

For unity imparts holiness to the mind, health to the body, peace and concord to countries and households, in short, all the virtue and strength of a nation arises out of its oneness with itself. But division is the cause of discord, schism, war, and countless ills. Hence Plato (De Repub. lib. v.) says, The worst evil which can befall a state is division, and its highest good subjection, if subjection makes it again one.

Hence S. Augustine says of the heavenly life, "There will be there no grudging because of unequal love, for one love will reign supreme in all;" and S. Gregory, "So great a love there unites all, that each rejoices that another rather than himself has received a blessing." Life therefore reigns in love, i.e. in union; but death in hatred, i.e. in division.

Mary hath chosen that good part. The Syriac and Arabic add "to herself" hath taken to herself. The Greek word α̉γαθὴν implies excellence, hence the Vulgate gives optimam. For Christ commends the one sister more than the other. "Thou, Martha, hast chosen well, but Mary better. Thou hast not chosen a bad part, but she a better." S. Augustine. "Behold, Martha is not blamed, but Mary is praised." Bede. And again, S. Augustine (serm. 27 De Verbis Domini), "Can we imagine that Martha was blamed for being intent on hospitable cares? How could she be rightly blamed for rejoicing over such a guest?" So also Ambrose and Cassian (Collat. i., chap. 8).

Theophylact explains, "By the action of the one, the body is nourished; by the action of the other the soul receives life." And Euthymius, "It is good to be hospitable, but it is better to hear the word of God, for the one is of the body, the other of the spirit."

S. Augustine gives another figurative interpretation: "Why was Mary's the better part? Because she preferred the one thing to many. Many things were created, but there was but one Creator, and if the things created were very good, how excellent must He be who created them."

There are three persons in the Godhead, and these three are one, so the nearer you approach to perfect unity, the higher you draw to God; and Christ Himself prays the Father that His disciples "may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us." And again, "The glory which thou gavest Me have I given them; that they may be one, even as We are one." See S. John xvii. 21 et seq.

Hence to choose the good part, is to give up all care of earthly things, and to devote oneself entirely to the service of God.

Hear Richard de S. Victor on Song viii: "Mary chose the better part, because she saw that the contemplation and the love of God included all things; but her sister was occupied about things which, though many, are limited to this world: hence by comparison Martha was troubled about few things. But the one thing necessary, and to be preferred before all, is to love God with the whole heart, and to show love and charity to all men." And Suarez (De Oratione Mentali) says, "Mary made the better choice, because mental prayer brings about blessedness in this life, because it is the commencement of that beatific vision which will be the happiness of the saints in heaven."