Sibling rivalry is a common occurrence in many families.  There is grumbling about the "preferred one" among the family.  Some siblings compare each other throughout the different stages in their lives and are unable to foster a friendship. They are always competing and comparing themselves with each other.  Today we see two sisters who are competing in a certain way in the service of the Lord.  It appears the Lord is giving one (Mary) the upper hand, however both sisters have good qualities to highlight.  Martha is a hard worker who wants to make her environment a little better by her efforts, while Mary is a contemplative who enjoys being in the presence of the Lord.  Both sisters are dedicated to the service of the Lord.  In our lives, we can apply our service using our different talents and don't feel we are greater or less than the others. We all have something different to contribute to building the Kingdom. We do not need to be in competition with one another. We benefit by understanding the successes of others are also our successes. We can celebrate together with joy those successes.  No one is better than the other, but we like those sisters can apply our lives trying to serve the Lord with our different gifts. Let's not compete, let's not become rivals. We are all in this together!