Biblical hospitality

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is-16-il Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C  pp 343

Reading 1    -   Genesis 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot.  Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.  When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: “Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant.   Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree.  Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh  yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way.”  The men replied, “Very well, do as you have said.” Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, “Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls.”  He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.  Then Abraham got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before the three men; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. They asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” He replied, “There in the tent.”  One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.”

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni   -   Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 18, 1-10a

F'dak iż-żmien, il-Mulej deher lil Abraham ħdejn il-ballut ta' Mamri;  u hu kien fil-bieb tal-għarix fl-aqwa tas-sħana tal-jum. U rafa' għajnejh u ħares, u ra tlitt irġiel weqfin quddiemu; u malli rahom mar jiġri jilqagħhom mill-bieb tal-għrix u nxteħet wiċċu  fl-art quddiemhom. U qal:  "Sidi, jekk jien sibt ħniena f'għajnejk,  tibqax għaddej  minn quddiem il-qaddej tiegħek.  Ħa nġib ftit ilma u aħslu  riġlejkom, u strieħu taħt  is-siġra, sakemm inġibilkom  gidma ħobż, biex titrejqu,  imbagħad tibqgħu sejrin –  għax għalhekk għaddejtu  għand il-qaddej tagħkom.  U huma qalulu:  "Tajjeb, agħmel kif għedt." U Abraham ħaffef lejn l-għarix, ħdejn Sara, u qalilha: "Fittex lesti tliet sigħan smid, agħġnu u agħmlu ftajjar." U Abraham mar jiġri ħdejn il-baqar u ħa għoġol tari u sabiħ, u tah lill-qaddej;  u dan fittex ilestih. U ħa baqta u l-ħalib u l-għoġol li kien lesta, u qegħedhom quddiemhom.   U hu bara' bilwieqfa quddiemhom taħt  is-sigra, u huma bdew jieklu.   U staqsewh:  "Fejn hi Sara, martek?"      U hu weġibhom:   "Hemm fl-għarix." U qallu:  "Nerġa niġi għandek bħal dan iż-żmien sena, u ara, Sara martek ikollha iben. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm  -  PSALM 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

R. (1a) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

One who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.                            R/

Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.         R/

Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
One who does these things
shall never be disturbed.                                            R/

Salm Responsorjali    -  Salm 14 (15)

                R/   Mulej, min jgħammar fid-dar tiegħek?

Min jgħix bla ħtija u jagħmel it-tajjeb,                                                                 

min jgħid is-sewwa f'qalbu;

min ma jqassasx bi lsienu.                                                          R/

Min ma jagħmilx deni lil ġaru,

u ma jgħajjarx lil għajru;

min ma jistmax lill-bniedem ħażin,

imma jweġġaħ lil dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej.   R              /

Min jislef u ma jitlobx imgħax,

u ma jixxaħħamx kontra min hu bla ħtija.

Min jagħmel dan qatt ma jitħarrek.                                        R/

Reading 2     -    Colossians 1:24-28

Brothers and sisters: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.  It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

It-Tieni Qari -  mill-Ittra ta' S Pawl lill-Kolossin 1, 24-29

               

Ħuti, jien issa nifraħ bit-tbatijiet tiegħi minħabba  fikom, għaliex  bihom jien ntemm f'ġismi dak li jonqos mit-tbatijiet ta' Kristu għall-ġisem tiegħu li hu l-Knisja. Tagħha jien sirt ministru, skont ma tani nagħmel Alla għalikom, jiġifieri li nxandar b'mod sħiħ il-Kelma ta' Alla,  il-ministru li kien moħbi sa miż-żminijiet  u l-ġenerazzjonijiet  kollha, u li issa hu mgħarraf lill-qaddisin tiegħu. Lil dawn Alla ried jgħarrafhom kemm huwa  kbir l-għana tal-glorja ta' dan il-misteru fost il-pagani:  Kristu hu fikom, it-tama tal-glorja tagħkom.   Lilu aħwa nħabbru lill-bnedmin  kollha, u nwissu u ngħallmu lil kulħadd bl-għerf kollu biex inwasslu lil kull bniedem għall-perfezzjoni fi Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel   -  Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?  Tell her to help me.”  The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

L-Evanġelju   -  skont San Luqa 10, 38-42

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' daħal f'raħal, u laqgħetu għandha waħda mara jisimha Marta.   Din kellha oħtha, jisimha Marija, li niżlet bilqiegħda  f'riġlejn il-Mulej tisimgħu x'kien qiegħed jgħid. Iżda Marta kienet moħħha fuq il-ħafna xogħol tad-dar. Imbagħad resqet u qaltlu:  "Mulej, m'intix tara kif oħti  ħalliet ix-xogħol kollu fuq biss?    Mela għidilha taqbad  tagħmel xi ħaġa miegħi."   Qabeż il-Mulej u qalilha:  "Marta, Marta!  Inti taħseb wisq u  tinkwieta fuq il-ħafna  ħwejjeġ, imma waħda hi meħtieġa.  U  Marija għażlet   l-aħjar sehem, li ma jittiehdilhiex." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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 Commentary  by Fr Thomas Rosica

The art of Biblical Hospitality

What does it mean to be hospitable?  Biblical stories extol hospitality as both a duty and a work of mercy.  The desert ‘Bedouin’ hospitality is a necessity for survival; and since this necessity falls upon all alike, any guest is entitled to hospitality from any host.  The guest, once accepted by the host, is sacred, and must be protected from any danger even at the cost of the life of members of the family.

The good host makes a feast for his guest as is never prepared for his own family.  The duty of the host to protect the guest is illustrated by the stories of Lot at Sodom [Genesis 19:1,8] and the man of Gibeah [Judges 19:16-24].  Job boasts of hospitality [Job 31:23].  God is certainly the generous host [Psalms 15:1; 23:5].

Hospitality in the New Testament

The Greek word for hospitality is ‘philanthropia’ meaning love of human beings, kindness.  The virtue of hospitality is praised in the New Testament and it is enumerated among the works of charity by which we will be judged [Mt. 25:35ff].  Jesus depends on it [Mk. 1:29ff.; 2:15ff., etc.]  He regards it as important in the parables [Lk. 10:34-35; 11:5ff, etc.].  God’s hospitality is an essential part of his message [cf. the divine generosity in Lk. 14:16ff; 12:37; 13:29, etc.].  Jesus had no home and was frequently a guest [Lk. 7:36ff; 9:51ff; 10:389ff; 14:1ff;].

It was the practice of Paul on his journeys first to visit the Jews and to stay with them, and to stay with the Gentiles only if the Jews refused him [Acts 14:28; 15:33; 16:15, 34; 17:1ff; 18:3, 27; 21:16].  With the rapid growth and expansion of the church, organization was needed, and we are told that fourth century Antioch cared daily for 3,000 widows, sick, and strangers.  Bishops and widows were especially expected to be hospitable both privately and officially.  Bigger churches and sanctuaries later set up hospices, and where care focused on the sick these developed into hospitals.

Hospitality, Bethany style

In Sunday’s Gospel story of Martha and her sister Mary in Bethany [Lk 10:38-42].  It illustrates the importance of hearing the words of the teacher and the concern with women. The gospel story about the two women has often been used to provide guidelines as to how women are to act. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t have much to do with the roles which any particular people should play.  It points out that God doesn’t just look at how well we carry out our duties.  No woman–and no man–should lose him/herself in busyness.  Mary of Bethany understood that.

Martha is so caught up in the many demands put upon her by society’s and culture’s rules for serving guests.  But really, there is little that is needed– or only one thing.  Much of Martha’s anxiety and concern in serving has more to do with conforming to society’s demands or with the desire of the host or hostess to shine as a model of accomplished and generous hospitality.

Activity, passivity or receptivity?

Mary of Bethany, disciple of the Lord, has chosen the most important thing required in welcoming others– her presence and full attention, so that it is her guest who shines.  Martha and Mary stand forever as symbols of the two modes of life between which we continually oscillate.  Activity can become a shield against facing issues and questions and truths which must be allowed to surface if we are to survive.  There are times when we simply must contemplate, must step back, must think, if we are to be capable of returning to meaningful activity.

The key of the Gospel story is not found in the tension of activity versus passivity, but in receptivity.  The one necessity in welcoming others into one’s home or community is being present to them– listening to what they have to say, as Mary does in today’s Gospel.

Hospitality’s enemy

Thus far we have considered the positive aspects, elements and manifestations of hospitality.  But hospitality has an enemy:  selfishness and pride.  When we are so wrapped up with ourselves, our own problems and difficulties, or we wish to jealously preserve what we have and exclude foreigners and strangers from our lives and riches, we are inhospitable.  Too much introspection and inwardness will prevent us from truly being present to others.  Or perhaps we are so concerned with external appearances, and so caught up with the details and activity, that we have no time for listening and welcoming.

At the dinner party in Bethany, Martha learned a profound lesson: perhaps a simple pita bread was better than a full Middle Eastern feast, if it got her out of the kitchen and in the company of such an important guest as was sitting in the living room with her sister, Mary. Perhaps Martha was finally able to sit down and grasp the full impact of what was unfolding in her very home - that her own sister was a real disciple of this man Jesus. And hopefully Martha discovered that the meal was only the scenery, not the script!

Questions for Reflection

Here are some questions to reflect upon this week, as individuals and as parish communities.

§                       How do I (we) practice hospitality?

§                       What are the signs of a hospitable community?

§                       What are the enemies of our hospitality?

§                       How can we become more hospitable?

§                       Do I (we) really love other human beings?

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