Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Most of us have been guests at someone’s house at some point or another, and no doubt we have experienced a range of hospitality. Recently, I was invited to a friend’s house where my entire family felt very welcome. All of our needs had been anticipated, and the hosts were constantly asking us if they could get us more to drink or to eat, if we were comfortable, if we needed sunblock, if we wanted more shade, if we needed anything for the kids, and so on. When we finally left this house, I said to my husband that I couldn’t really imagine better hospitality! In contrast to such a positive experience, most of us have also been places where we were not completely comfortable, where hosts did not seem to have our needs or interests in mind, for example, having numerous expensive glass items easily within reach of our young children or not being attentive to our dietary concerns.
In today’s readings, we see the virtue of hospitality presented biblically. In the first reading from the book of Genesis, we hear that the LORD appeared to Abraham, but what is described is three men (or angels, as is often interpreted). Literally as soon as Abraham sees them, he begins attending to their needs in a true display of hospitality. He asks for the men to rest, to drink, and to eat. And Abraham is not stingy with his hospitality. He has Sarah make rolls from the fine flour, and the steer he offers them is tender and choice. We get the impression that everything is to be done in order to make these guests feel welcome and comfortable.
Our gospel passage from Luke provides another illustration of hospitality. But here it is St. Martha who is bustling around attending to the needs of Jesus. She is getting everything ready and doing all of the serving. By contrast, her sister Mary is sitting beside Jesus and listening to him speak. This, too, is a part of hospitality; Mary is attentive to her guest Jesus in a way that her sister is not. While Martha is concerned with the duties and obligations of hosting and the physical needs of her guest, Mary is attentive to Jesus in an even better way. She is making Jesus feel welcome in a spirit of selflessness and self-gift, whereas Martha’s service seems almost begrudging. In these days when justice, especially “social justice” is emphasized as particularly important in our Church, we must not forget the virtue of hospitality.
Our psalm response today proclaims that “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord” (Ps 15:1a). Justice is that virtue wherein we give to others their due; we treat them as they deserve to be treated as people who are in the image and likeness of God. Hospitality, then, is a form of justice, where we welcome people, rendering to them all that they deserve as persons. Our neighbors and even strangers must feel welcome in our homes; a Christian house is not a closed building, but an open home. To the best of our ability, we must strive to attend to the physical and spiritual needs of all who visit us. By practicing the virtue of hospitality, we can constantly remind ourselves that this faith isn’t just about us. While it’s important to have a personal relationship with Jesus, it’s also important that our life of faith leads us to care and concern for others. We want to live in the presence of the Lord, and so we need to give others their due as children of God.
As we celebrate this 16thh Sunday of Ordinary Time, let us reflect on how we can better live out hospitality in our own lives, whether by opening our home to neighbors, inviting friends for Sunday brunch, or even simply listening to a coworker who needs our time.
- Maria Morrow