HOMILY FOR THE 16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.
“CHRISTIAN HOSPITALITY!”
By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.
· Our today’s reading begins with a discussion on what Christian hospitality should be all about, and how best to go about it. As part of our Christian mission, we are also specially called to be hospitable and nice to one another, especially those who would ordinarily not be able to pay us back.
· Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. It refers to the relationship between a guest, visitor or stranger, and a host; wherein the host receives the other guest with goodwill, warm the reception and generous entertainment.
· In today’s first reading (Genesis 18:1-10), we see what it means to be hospitable without any strings attached. Abraham took the initiative to run to the three men (symbolic of the Blessed Trinity) and welcome them. He begged them to rest a while, and he fed them. He saw their visit as a divine opportunity to be nice and hospitable “that is why you have come in your servant’s direction” (Gen. 18:5). We see in this encounter of Abraham and Sarah with total strangers that no act of kindness or hospitality to total strangers go unrewarded (Gen. 18:10).
· Today’s gospel (Luke 10:38-42) invites all Christians to be hospitable. But first to be a Mary, who sits with devotion at the Lord’s feet listening to his word, and then. to be a Martha, who throws herself with energy into the business of serving the Lord too.
· We will always meet strangers, people will always be in need. But it is not enough for us to begin to solve their problems without first listening to them in compassion, before springing into action to help.
· It is not enough also, to listen and do nothing, to say to them, Jesus loves you, God will provide, etc. God provides for us to be able to reach out to others. A Hausa proverb states “Allah ya baka ka bani” – “may God give you so that you can give me”.
· Even though it is difficult to be hospitable in this modern dispensation, we must realise that it is a categorical imperative to be nice and accommodating to strangers. We must realise that a clear conscience fears no accusation. Hence, we must not be afraid of doing good.
· Do good because it is good to do good. We must learn to be nice to strangers, first, because this pleases God! We do the will of God, and God’s will is manifest in our life as we attend to the needs of those completely unknown to us. Sometimes, they may end up being the solution to our problems.
· It is so wonderful when people are celebrating, they go to total strangers in orphanages, motherless babies’ homes, old people’s homes, hospitals, and prisons to show love and care. God does not forget such hospitality.
· We must learn to hold on to God by his promises. He promised Abraham and Sarah a son because of their hospitality and he fulfilled it. Do your part by being hospitable and let God do his part by blessing you.
· Jesus’s encounter with Martha and Mary shows that to be truly a disciple of Jesus, to be truly hospitable, we must first listen to Jesus to find direction for our mission. Jesus cautioned Martha because he came to serve and to be served (Matthew 20:28).
· While we constantly make effort to be hospitable to those in need and strangers, we must realise that we can only be more hospitable after we have like Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to learn from him and experience his presence, before being of service to other people.
· In being a perfect host, God wants us to observe more, listen more, and speak less. That is why he created us with two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.
· In the debate between Martha and Mary, we see that while Martha represented active apostolic life, Mary represented a contemplative life. Both are complimentary. Martha was more spontaneous and reactionary. She was the same person who went to call Jesus when Lazarus her brother died. Martha likes to get things done and done well.
· We cannot dissociate our person with the way we relate to God. But must strive to strike a balance. Martha and Mary represent two categories of Christians. Those who pray, pray, and pray (Mary) and those who work, work, and work (Martha). While it is good to pray it must be backed by concrete action.
· Sometimes we need spontaneous action and at other times just being there is enough. For instance, visiting a terminally ill person is not so much about what you say or do but just being there is all that is needed (Ps. 46:10).
· From Mary and Martha, we learn that from the presence of God, we go to the presence of people. We come out from the presence of people to seek the presence of God.
· Both Martha and Mary loved and served the Lord but they expressed it differently. Martha who was arranging and preparing the Lord’s meal, was busy doing many things, whereas Mary preferred to find her meal in what the Lord was saying.
· We too all run the risk of being carried away by so many activities in the beed to be hospitable. We work so hard that we forget prayers and interior life (reflection) because an unreflective life is not worth living.
· Work and contemplation, prayer, and service, listening and doing; go together. A good Christian who is hospitable prays and serves. Because when you listen to God in prayer, he gives us counsel, energy, and direction for our Christian action. Food is to our physical life what prayer is to our spiritual life.
· We must ask ourselves where we belong. Are you Martha or Mary? Virtue lies in the middle. Hence, a good and hospitable Christian must be both because faith without action is dead (James 2:14-26).
· While Martha represents action and service, Mary represents relationship. Martha is a perfect host, Mary is a perfect disciple. Discipleship comes before hospitality. The act of discipleship supplies the mode of operation and mode of living as one who is hospitable.
· We must also realise that doing the work of the Lord is great, but knowing the Lord of the work is greater. Martha was busy with the work of the Lord while Mary was more interested in knowing the Lord of the work.
· The difference is in our approach to Christian hospitality. Martha working for the Lord, Mary being with the Lord. Saint Mark tells us of the dual purpose of discipleship “to be with him and to be sent out to proclaim the message” (Mark 3:14). How can you proclaim the Lord without first being with him to know him?
· Dearly beloved, no acts of kindness ever go unrewarded whether to strangers or acquaintances. But it carries more spiritual significance when it is to the less privileged. In the first reading, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham were rewarded with a son. In the gospel aunty Martha and Mary were later rewarded with the resurrection of Lazarus their brother when he died (John 11)
· A lot of us here look up to God for various miracles, breakthroughs, and divine testimonies. Today the Lord is challenging you with his word to be Christian and to be hospitable to everyone because, through it, we would have entertained angels like Abraham and Sarah did, and then claim our blessings. We must remember that “there is more joy in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35).
· May God give us the grace to touch lives positively especially the less privileged, so that we may reap an eternal blessing through Christ our Lord. Amen!!!
· Happy Sunday!!!
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