Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
How often have you felt frustrated by another person on a cell phone… in a restaurant, at a public place or even at home? How often have you wished that someone would just get off the phone? I was with somebody for dinner once and the other person kept answering all the texts. I thought that was rude. Have we forgotten basic hospitality?
I find today’s readings fascinating. I am interpreting them from the perspective of hospitality. Abraham had no idea that the three strangers as the entrance to his tent was the Lord himself. In fact, Abraham had no idea who they might be. Yet Abraham bathes them with his hospitality. The details that the readings give makes me wish that I was the stranger at Abraham’s tent. The Gospel reading is a mixed bag. While Martha is rebuked for her distraction, Mary’s attentiveness is praised. Let us draw some lessons from all this.
1. PRAYER AS HOSPITALITY. Have you ever thought about prayer as hospitality? Could we reflect on prayer as an act of hospitality? The time we set aside for prayer, the kind of attention to give to God, our commitment to spending time with Christ regularly can all be seen as acts of hospitality. Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, is a powerful image of prayer. There were no distractions, no anxieties, no hurry. In spite of her sister buzzing around her like a bee, she sat there at the feet of Jesus. Martha did not love Jesus any less. Jesus did not rebuke her because she was a bad person or because she was doing something wrong. In fact, Martha was being hospitable in a different way. But Martha was distracted by external things like we are. Are we too distracted a people? Could we not wait for mass to be over to check or answer text messages? Do we get so busy that we have no time for God? Are we in a hurry when we come before God either in prayer of for Sunday worship? Does God feel welcome in our tent like God did at Abraham’s tent? Does God get time to sit and talk with us like Jesus did with Mary? This week, find ways to be hospitable to God.
2. HOSPITALITY - THE STRANGER MIGHT BE DIVINE. Hospitality - A Way Meet God. I know these are complex times. Hospitality can be risky. The way we look at strangers today is not the same as in today’s first reading. Especially, children, we teach them to be careful around strangers. With terrorism and gun violence being so rampant, there is a general sense of mistrust in society. Yet, I do not want us to miss the importance of today’s first reading. The strangers at Abraham’s door was God. My fear is that our children will not know the meaning of “welcoming the stranger.” My fear is that our primary attitude is suspicion. The entire Christian story, on the contrary, is that God came to us as a stranger. At Christmas, on the cross, on the road to Emmaus, God came as a stranger. But look at the world we are creating. Every stranger is a suspect. God has one less way to come among us. I am not sure what we can do about this except to say that the Church should be a place where everybody feels welcome and safe. Church communities have a very special role in the world today - to welcome the stranger.
3. HOSPITALITY AS DIVERSITY. Perhaps more problematic than the question of strangers is the question of diversity. The spate of religious violence the world over and the prevalence of racial violence has made the entire world very Xenophobic and divided. We are afraid of the “other.” Globalization was supposed to make the world a global village. The world was supposed to love its diversity. But we are seeing the opposite. The United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union. I hear that there is a movement in Texas to secede from the United States. Muslims are suspect in the West, the West is suspect in the Middle-East, China and Russia, Russia and China are problems for the West… and the list goes on. The racial violence in the country makes this also a domestic issue. Americans are killing Americans because of racial disharmony. Meanwhile, in our own city we have refugees coming from countries in Africa, from parts of the Middle-East, and immigrants from the world over. In this context, understanding hospitality as diversity is crucial. God is not white, black or brown! God’s language is not English, or French, or Arabic or Latin! God is not American, or Indian or Chinese or Mexican. God is not male or female! Human beings in their totality express the image and likeness of God. Hospitality means that we remain openness to the diversity of the world, because diversity is divine. This week, find ways to welcome diversity. Who knows, like Abraham we might meet the Lord!
- Fr. Satish Joseph