Fresh Dew Media

 16^th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

THEME: Hospitality: the key that unlocks blessings

Readings: Gen 18, 1-10; Col 1, 24-28; Lk 10, 38-42

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, last Sunday, the Church taught us that our neighbour includes anyone who is in need of help, and she instructed us not to turn our eyes from the needy. This Sunday, the Church wants to teach us the importance and benefits of kindness and hospitality. Beyond highlighting the importance of these virtues, the Church also seeks to emphasize the necessity of taking time to listen to the voice of Jesus, even while engaged in acts of kindness and hospitality.

Dear friends, for many years, Abraham and Sara have been praying to God for the fruit of the womb, and on several occasions, they have received promises from God that they will have children. However, it is remarkable to note that it was an act of hospitality or charity to strangers that ultimately led to the fulfilment of the promise of fertility made to Abraham and Sarah by God. An act of hospitality to total strangers, who turned out to be angels, as we read in the first reading of today, opened the door to blessings for Abraham and Sarah. 

It is often said that ‘in giving out, you lose in order to get something greater and better.’ In the letter to the Hebrews 13:2, the word of God said, “Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. Some people, by so doing, have welcomed angels in their homes without knowing it.” This was precisely the experience of Abraham and Sarah. They were merely performing an act recommended by their faith and custom, unaware that the strangers were, in fact, angels.

Similarly, our Christian faith and the custom of our various countries recommend that we treat strangers with kindness and offer hospitality to them. Nevertheless, the security issues prevalent in our world have made it challenging for many individuals to trust the authenticity of those who approach them as strangers. These apprehensions have hindered numerous people from opening their doors to strangers. Additionally, the economic difficulties of our time have made it even more difficult for many people to extend their hands in charity to other people.

However, today, dear friends, the Church urges us not to use security concerns and economic difficulties as excuses to withdraw from acts of charity and hospitality. In other words, the Church does not want us to stop our acts of charity and hospitality because of economic hardships and security threats. Rather, she wants us to realize that every act of charity and hospitality rendered to another person brings us closer to God’s plans for us and to the fulfilment of God’s promises in our lives, the same way it happened in the lives of Abraham and Sarah.

A saying goes this way: venit hospes, venit Christus, which means, ‘when a guest comes, Christ comes’. My dear friends, by shutting our doors to strangers, many of us have missed opportunities to meet Jesus and have consequently denied Him entry into our homes. By refusing to embrace strangers on the street, many of us have denied help to angels. By failing to treat our guests with kindness, many of us have missed opportunities to host angels and Jesus.

In the Gospel reading of today, Martha did not fail to host Jesus in her home. She ensured that she provided Jesus with the finest hospitality. Nevertheless, Jesus used that significant moment to teach us the best ways to take care of our guests and how to balance our active life with our contemplative life. Jesus was a guest in the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha was occupied with preparing the material necessities to host their guest, Mary was attentively listening to Jesus' teachings. For Martha, the action of Mary was wrong, but for Jesus, both the actions of Mary and Martha were right, though Mary’s choice was deemed superior and should be prioritized.

Therefore, while the Church encourages us to embrace charity and hospitality, she also invites us to always set our priorities right, ensuring that our efforts for the welfare of others do not distract us from the time we ought to spend with Jesus. Our watchword should always be ‘Jesus Christ first, then everything else.’

From this gospel episode, we should understand that it is essential to prioritize listening to the word of God and maintaining a close relationship with Jesus, even amidst our social engagements for the welfare of humanity. If we neglect our intimate connection with Jesus while performing actions for the welfare of others, we risk becoming mere philanthropists. Our lives and time should not solely be devoted to the work of the Lord; instead, the work of the Lord should continually lead us to recognize the Lord of the work.

It is evident that many Christians have overlooked this important aspect of our Christian life.  Today, numerous individuals are so preoccupied with an abundance of social activities—both within the church and at home—that they scarcely find time for spiritual reflection. In some of our families, we focus attention on every other thing but little or no attention on the spiritual growth of the members of our families. Many Christians have time for all social activities but little or no time for praying together or studying the word of God together. Many Christians contribute substantial sums of money to the Church, yet they lack time to spend with Jesus. Amidst your social activities for the church and community, make sure to set aside time for communion with God.

Another important lesson from today’s gospel is that a crucial aspect of hospitality involves paying attention to the guest. Sometimes, what our guest requires from us transcends material things; it is our attention. Dear friends, Jesus is the guest in our homes, and He wants us to gather around Him as a family, paying attention to what He wants to tell us, for He has something new to teach us every day. Therefore, we must not let anything hinder us from welcoming Him into our lives, nor should we permit anything to distract us from His presence.

Peace be with you and your family.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima