Newsletter July 17th 2022 (16th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Hospitable Household

– Wouldn’t we be delighted if a whole raft of stories turned up about Martha, Mary and Lazarus; but today’s episode and the raising of Lazarus (John 11) are the only ones recorded by the Evangelists. However, these two stories let us see Jesus in an everyday setting among people that he loved and who clearly loved him. The parents of Martha and Mary were presumably dead, since we hear nothing about them. The two women were clearly very attached to the Lord and he treated them with respect and affection. This story is not teaching that one should not serve a meal to our guests. Jesus is saying rather that more important than feeding them is enjoying their company and loving them. We should never be so busy that we have no time for conversation.

– The Irish tradition emphasises hospitality, a tradition somewhat harder to practice in a busy urban setting, but one that we would do well to keep alive, and even revive to a higher level. We are more likely to encounter the grace of God when welcoming visitors to our home, than just by sitting watching television!