Anyway this passage deserves a check: let's try to invert the position of the two sisters! Marta , to Jesus feets, woldn't be listening to Jesus at all, worried about the many things she has to do and would be thinking that her sister, that is not able to cook, will burn everything...Mary, instead, will really burn the food thinking to the many beautiful things that Jesus is saying and that she is missing.

So here you are a last provocation: the Enneagram shows me my way, the one that better fits me, the o ne that will really change me; I can still keepnot to eat sweets during lent, but if I try to eradicate my faults, I "prepare the way" to Lord Jesus's Grace. He is the only true liberation of my life and of every man's life; only Christ with his redempion can save the entire man.

Let's define now the two profiles for each type of the Enneagram: by one hand the "trap" with few indications, by the other hand the "divine idea", drawing from the witness of the Word of God.

The trap of the is his idea of "perfection"; the more he looks for it, the more he becomes intolerant. The divine idea is the "grouth" dinamic: to accept persons and things have their time; Qoelet advises (3,1 and following): there is a time for each thing; God's kingdomhas his time to be realized, and only God knows it.

The trap of the is idea of "service"; the truth is that he loves to receive love. The divine idea is the "Grace" dinamic; is the realization that God's love is a free gift, received before having done anything for him (Matt. 10, 8b): "Freely you have received, freely give".

The trap of the is his idea of "efficience"; life is to gain successes. The divine idea is the "Hope" dinamic; in it you accept life with its successes and its contradictions. Even if He knew what was going to happen to Him, Jesus walked towards Gerusalem (Luke 9,51).

The trap of is his melancoly; this makes him unable to live in the present. The divine idea is called "union with God"; this makes him experience God's sensitiveness toward himself: he feels he is "called by name" ( the episode of Zaccheo- Luke 19, 5-6; about Jesus sensitiveness see for example the episodes of the Nain widow- Luke 7, 13- and of Jesus crying for Lazarus- John 11, 33).

The trap of the is "knowledge", which he is insatiably thirsty. The divine idea is instead the "providence", to rely on like the birds in the sky and the lily in the fields, because nothing will ever lack; in fact "your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matt 6, 8).

The trap of the is his idea of "certainty": he looks for rules to stick to, maybe also acritically. The divine idea of "Faith" helps him as it makes him understand that God loves him like a son, and not because he sticks to the Law. Jesus is the model of the fair person, but he is able to take the risk to change the Law he has received in the comandment of love: "You have heard it was said to those of old...but I say to you..."(Matt 5, 17- 48).

The trap of the is called "ideal world"; everything is planned by him to be "beautiful". The divine idea is called "cooperation with God"; in it he learns to face life just as it appears to him; the pharisee wanted an ascetic Messiah, Jesuss instead lives relationships in liberty: he cryes with whom is crying and laughs whith whom is laughing; he takes part to the feasts, also with sinners, refused by anybody else.

The trap of the is "Justice"; actually his justice tastes of vengeance. The divine idea is "mercy", which makes him look with compassion those who act in a bad way; instead he condamns the faults. Jesusis an example in this, with his benevolence that helps those that make mistakes to get up again; you can find an example in the episode of the adulteress (John 8, 10-11).

The trap of the is called "depreciation of itself": he steps back because he feels he thhinks not to have any quality. The divine idea is called "Charity" as it helps him to fell loved the way he is. And as he fells he is endlessly loved by God he can answer with love to love. Jesus shows us this endless love when He says goodby (John 13-17).

Let's conclude: in the Bible we have a privileged person htat shows us thi way: is Jacob that has to fight all night long with God ( isn't our life a night many times ?!) to be radically changed by Him, in the name and in his deepest beeing; maybe also carring a sign of the fight on his flesh. Anyway the christian should be aware "not to be alone on his way"; is the great promise of Christ before his going back to the Father: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28,20).


If you want, you can see the list of the Enneagram's publications
or return to the main page.