The famous motto of the Boy Scouts is “Be Prepared.” This admonition is deliberately vague, meaning that a scout should be prepared appropriately for anything. New scouts (and leaders) often get the practical details of the this wrong by bringing way too much stuff on a campout. Experienced scouts know how to be prepared by bringing just the right gear and knowing what they should leave behind.

In today’s Gospel, Martha seems incredibly prepared to welcome Jesus. She has thought of all the details of hospitality. Yet, Jesus reminds her that she is “anxious and worried about many things” and that “there is need of only one thing.” She is so busy with preparations that she misses the most important thing, Jesus himself. Like a good scout, Mary knows the secret. She is prepared for exactly what she needs most at the moment. She knows to “keep the main thing the main thing” and leave other details aside for now.

So maybe today you need to do a little “shakedown” as we call it in the scouts and see how much extra stuff you’re lugging around in your backpack. Put Jesus first and you’ll be prepared for anything.