Gen 18:1-10; Col
1:24-28; Lk 10:38-42
The readings
provide us important lessons concerning the virtue of hospitality.
In the first
reading, Abraham welcomes three mysterious guests into his tent and offers them
the usual desert amenities of shelter, water and food. Some authors would say
that the three men are angels of God; others would suggest that the three are a
manifestation of the Triune God. Abraham may not be fully aware of the identity
of his guests, but we see in him a perfect representative of a culture that so
highly values hospitality to strangers. Because of the difficulty and hazard of
desert travels, ancient Jews would feel deeply obligated to provide for the
needs of travelers. The Book of Hebrews says that hospitality can lead to
divine encounters: “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have
unknowingly entertained angels” (13:2). Abraham’s hospitality is demonstrated
by the fact that he personally serves the guests. He prepares the cream, the milk
and the calf, even though he has so many servants. In return to his generosity,
Abraham is informed about the coming birth of his long-awaited son.
Abraham should
inspire us to be hospitable to people, especially to those who are heavily
burdened by difficulties and hardships of life. In the Parable of the Last
Judgment, the Lord reminds us that every little thing that we do for a needy
person, we are doing it to him (Mt 25:31-46). Therefore, we cannot be short of
opportunities to serve the Lord because around us there are just so many people
who are in need of assistance. Of course, we cannot possibly help every
destitute person. The Lord reminds us that the poor will always be with us (Mt
26:11). And yet, if every one of us desires to help a poor person each day,
imagine what a difference that would make in the world.
Martha and Mary,
together with their brother Lazarus, were beloved friends of Jesus. They lived
in a small village called Bethany where Jesus loved to drop by and relax
whenever he was traveling near Jerusalem. In today’s gospel account, the Lord
passes in Bethany and the sisters Martha and Mary once again invite him to
their home. This time, however, Martha gets so busy because she wants to
prepare a nice meal for the Lord. Meanwhile, Mary, the younger sister, is so
excited to see Jesus that all she wants to do is sit and talk with the Lord.
The next thing we hear is Martha’s complaint against the seeming laziness of
her sister: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by
myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” Here, we suppose that Martha is
not truly angry at the situation or is not really making a violent protest. One
cannot initiate a fight in the family or make a strong comment about a sibling
in the presence of a special guest. Jesus’ response to Martha somehow indicates
that the atmosphere in the house is quite light. The way he repeats her name,
“Martha, Martha,” suggests that he is smiling at someone whose little failings
are not new to him. Nonetheless, the Lord proceeds to deliver an important
lesson: The presence and
attention of a friend or a loved one is more valuable than any material
provision.
The story in
Bethany should inspire us to check the quality of our hospitality to others.
Genuine hospitality is a virtue that moves us to consider the real needs of
people and to respond to them appropriately. Often we find it easier to serve
people by providing them with material things than by giving them our time and
presence. But we know for a fact that the greater need of people is not for
money or things but for love and attention. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta used
to remind us: “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the greatest
poverty.”
There was once a man who was trying to read
the evening newspaper after he had come home from a rough day at the office. As
he attempted to read the paper, he was constantly being interrupted by his
children. One child came and asked for money for an ice cream cone, and his
father gently reached into his pocket and gave him the necessary coin. Another
child arrived in tears. Her leg was hurt and she wanted her daddy to kiss the
hurt away. An older son came with an algebra problem, and they eventually
arrived at the right answer. Finally, the last and youngest of them all burst
into the room looking for good old dad. The father said cynically, “What do you
want?” the little youngster said, “Oh, Daddy, I don’t want anything. I just
want to sit in your lap.” (The story is from Stories for All Seasons by Gerard
Fuller, OMI)
