Gn 18:1-10a
Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
Col 1:24-28
Lk 10:38-42 Full Readings
Being Hospitable
We are all familiar of these or similar statements: Giving is better than receiving, blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives, to receive, you have to give and many others of a such. Today's readings teach us to be hospitable always not only in giving but also in welcoming everyone even strangers with a warm loving heart for indeed there are many blessing in giving and being hospitable. Abraham in the first reading and Mary and Martha in the gospel are perfect examples.
When you sit, eat, sleep and when you entertain your friends and guests, remember that the Lord Jesus is also the guest of your home. Today's scripture tells us that when Abraham opened his home and welcomed three unknown travelers, he welcomed the Lord who blessed him favorably for his gracious hospitality (Genesis 18:1-10; Hebrews 13:2). The Lord wants us to bring him glory in the way we treat others and use the gifts he has graciously given to us. God, in turn, blesses us with his gracious presence and fills us with joy. Abraham was blessed with the gift of the child, Isaac, even though they were in their old age, and above all the promise of uncountable descendants which Paul implicitly praises in the second reading.
Paul boldly says that he was commissioned to proclaim the mystery only revealed at the end of time, and this mystery is that salvation promised to Abraham and his descendants which extends even to us fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And so Paul is ok with the suffering for Christ's body, the Church, and completes Christ suffering as a sign of gratefulness to God and his hospitality both to the church. When we also devote our lives to the Church, the body of Christ and hospitable to our fellow Christians and Church leaders, we are indeed welcoming God in our lives, just as Abraham did.
In the gospel we see two types of hospitality: the one of Mary and Martha. When Jesus visited them, Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening attentively to him, and Martha was up and down preparing food and refreshments for Jesus. Who chose the better part? Are the two types of hospitality all good? Mary chose the better part, but does not mean Martha chose the worst, no she chose the good part. No wonder Jesus uses the word, "better" to compare the two. What Jesus is teaching us is to have priority and our first priority should be listening to God and learn from him and then we can be able to go out and serve others in their needs. Both are important but one has a priority over the other.
Also, Martha and Mary have become the classic figures in the Church representing two different styles of life, the active and the contemplative vocation, an active apostolate or a life of prayer. Carried to an extreme, this opposition is, of course, merely silly. No active apostolate can thrive unless it grows out of a life of prayer, for we cannot draw others to the knowledge and love of a God whom we do not ourselves know and love. Nor can a life of prayer be genuine unless it leads to care for others and concern for the salvation of all those whom the Lord loves. Even a strictly enclosed community cannot claim to be a part of Christ’s body unless its fabric is one of love and concern for all the members, and especially those in need, the elderly, the sick and the young.
As Christians, we are called to be both active (evangelizing) and contemplative. Therefore, it is essential that our lives are grounded in Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and prayer. It is also essential that we take seriously the call we received in Baptism to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We help others not only encounter Christ and come to know his love; we also help them recognize their own call to touch others with the Gospel message as missionary disciples. As Pope Francis wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Matthew 28:19)… The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization” (n. 120). We can ask ourselves, “Are there obstacles in my life to living this aspect of faith?”
Reflect today on the aspect of hospitality and how hospital you are. What about the two styles of life. Where do you fall most? What's your priority among the two? Do you stop what you have been doing throughout the day so that you can pray or you are too busy 24/7? Ask the Lord to send His Spirit to guide in prioritising the Word of God and prayer.
Let us Pray
Lord, help me always to choose the better part of listening to you and conversing with you which will help me in my active ministry. Inspire me always to become hospital for it is in this that you are intending to come to me and bless me Amen.
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