Two words can really
summarize all of our readings today.
Hospitality and listening. Many
times we think of them as either/or.
Either you’re going to be serving and doing something or you’re going to
be very quiet and restful. And I believe
Jesus is trying to combine both of them.
You go into the first
reading of course. Here’s Abraham. Abraham and Sarah are probably both in their
90s when this even took place in their life.
And just like yesterday, in the heat of the day and the hot, Abraham
sitting outside in the shade. These
three visitors appear. And of course one
of them is the Lord. And He says, “Get
me something to eat.” Of course Abraham,
being a true man of his generation says, “Sarah, servants, get something
ready.” So they hustle around. They feed these people. And then the Lord says, “Oh, by the way
Abraham, a year from now your wife, Sarah, will have a son.”
Now what it does not say in
this reading, it was the next line after this, Sarah was behind the curtain and
she heard this promise being made to her and she laughs. Now what woman, probably in her 90s would
maybe not laugh, maybe would shriek, “Are you kidding.” But anyway when they have their son they name
him Isaac. And in Hebrew the word Isaac
means “One who laughs”, so a little play on words here as well.
Hospitality. Abraham and his family welcome the people
into their tent, their home, serve them and they are blessed.
In the Gospel same reality
taking place. Here’s Martha and
Mary. Both are responding to Jesus. Martha does it by preparing the meal. She’s so busy getting everything ready. And then there’s Mary, just sitting there
angelic-like, “Oh Lord”, looking up at Him, soaking up everything He has to
say.
Notice what Jesus says to
Martha, “Martha, you’re so anxious”.
Stop the fussing would be another way to say it. Have you ever been with somebody at their
home, and you know somebody has to prepare the meal. Somebody cleans the house, gets the dinner
table ready, whatever it might be. But
you’re there as a guest because you wanted to see those people, or they invited
you to be with them. And sometimes you
never get to talk to the hosts because they are so busy running around with
everything. Ever notice sometimes when
you’re with somebody too, and they’re looking with you, maybe they’re talking
but they’re looking behind you to see the pile of dishes or all the work that’s
going to have to be done afterwards, so they never really enjoy your presence
and your company. You really don’t get
to enjoy their presence or company because now you feel a little anxious and
worried because all this stuff you did because I came to be with you.
Jesus is trying to put them
both together saying, “When you’re with your company enjoy them, be with
them.” Yes, the preparations beforehand,
the cleanup afterwards, those things need to be there. But if you get all anxious and bent out of
shape about it you miss the opportunity just to be with the people who are with
you.
Another way to say it of
course, I think maybe, is ever notice when you’re with somebody you can look
into their eyes and communicate with them on that level. Many times we avoid eye contact. Perhaps Jesus is saying that to Martha and
Mary. “She chose the better part. She was willing to listen to Me. She was willing to serve Me knowing that
later on I was going to be going up to Jerusalem to suffer and she wanted just
to be with Me, in My presence.”
We need both. Jesus is saying, “You come to me to listen to
Me, to get filled up with My hope, My joy, My compassion. Then you in turn will have the strength, the
energy to do the serving.” There’s where
the connection comes in. It isn’t just
either/or. So what’s all our fussing
about? Notice how many times we say, “It
ain’t fair. How come I always have to
take out the garbage? How come I always
have to do the cleaning? How come I
always have to go to the grocery store?
How come I always have to put gas in the car? How come I always have to do this?” Especially with siblings we say, “Well how
come she gets away with this and I gotta do that?” We’ve all been there. We’ve all done it. We build up all this anxiousness and anxiety,
and no wonder we’re stressed out.
Hospitality and the
listening go together. It isn’t
either/or, it’s both/and.
So maybe when we find
ourselves being so upset about what we are doing, and then we worry about what
we think other people are not doing there’s a tip-off again.
One of my favorite authors
is Patricia Livingston. One of her books
called Let in the Light, she tells the story about her sister Mary. Now she said her sister Mary for over 20
years has been mentally ill, seriously, dealing with depression. She also has diabetes. She is at the point now in her life where she
has to take daily injections. One of her
doctors told her too that it’s progressing and there’s a possibility she could
go blind. So she has all these physical
and emotional pressures she is dealing with.
Her sister said, “I asked my sister, ‘how do you cope with this? What gives you hope in the midst of all this
darkness?’” She said, “A few days later
my sister called me up and said, ‘Well I’ve really been thinking a lot about what you said Patricia and here’s what
I finally realized. What distracts me
from my preoccupation with this endless road of suffering. I get a break from feeling it when I am doing
something loving for someone else.
Someone who needs my help. But it
has to be in person. They have to want
it. They need to respond somehow so that
I can see it matters to them.’” Then
Patricia said her sister laughed and said, “Unappreciated efforts do little for
my pain. Something has to pass between
us, something given and received. Their
receiving is an important as the gift I am giving. When I make Dino dinner and his eyes light
up. I take my blind friend to the store,
or the lady who can’t afford cab to see her doctor, that’s what helps. My endless illness disappears. What I am saying is it helps me to know I can
still be a blessing to someone else.”
She’s take hospitality and
listening and put them together. A
beautiful way of doing it, and being.
We need to take the time
listening. Theologically put the other
word to it, prayer. If you’re not
praying, if you’re not spending the quiet time with the Lord Jesus, you will
not get the energy, the compassion, the strength you and I need to be people of
hospitality, of serving, of giving.
When we can do something for
somebody else, they receive it. They are
accepting the blessing from you and from me, the gift that you and I are
giving. And when they receive it, they
in turn are giving you the blessing back because they are taking what you have,
receiving it graciously and in turn being grateful. There’s the blessing coming back.
The same dynamic is taking place in the Eucharist this morning. We are coming to give ourselves to the Lord,
to praise our God, to ask help and strength.
God takes us, blesses us, gives us His Son, Jesus. Then in turn sends you and me forth from this
Eucharist, that you and I can continue to be a blessing for other people.
Hospitality, prayer,
listening go together. So maybe today
and throughout this week take some quiet time in prayer. Go over your blessings, the people in your
life. Who has blessed you? Who is still with you on your journey of
life? Be grateful. Then maybe go the next step—take a look at
your life and see what are the ways that you serve, that you give of yourself,
your time, your talents to other people.
And again be grateful to
God, Who is blessing you, giving you the strength, the energy to be there and
to do it.