Marthas Hospitality

Marjeo Ll. Delfin, OMI

One of the values that identifies us Filipinos is our being hospitable. Before accepting a visitor to our house, we do a lot of preparations, from scrabbing the floor to sweeping the ceiling, changing the curtains, arranging the furniture and fixing everything from bedroom to bedroom providing the newest beddings and the most scentful blankets and softest pillows. Of course the food has to be delicious and at best. This is our way of welcoming our visitors at home. In our Gospel, we see two ways of welcoming Jesus, two ways of serving the Lord, and two ways of discipleship. First is Marthas way. Marthas way is very similar to Abrahams manner of welcoming his visitors. Abraham in our first reading shows hospitality to the three strangers visiting their tent. He offered refreshments, cool water to wash their feet, he even asks Sarah to prepared bread out of the finest wheat and provide really the best food for the strangers. Abraham, Sarah and Martha offer the best service to the Lord. I guess this is important to us, what we can do for our visitor, and in this case, what we can do for the Lord. Second is Marys way. Marys way is of welcoming is seating beside the Lord at his feet and listening to his words of wisdom. A posture of a disciple. Welcoming the word of Jesus is true hospitality. And Jesus towards the end of the gospel tells us that Mary chose the better part. The gospel presents two manners, active and contemplative way of receiving the Lord. There should really be no conflict between action and contemplation, doing and praying. They complete each other. But contemplating or welcoming the word or wisdom of Christ before acting it out is the better part. Upon receiving the words of Jesus, which is the mark of a true hospitality, we allow this to change us, to change our life to the better. We allow the word of God to form us into his image and likeness. Just as Abraham and Sarah received a son as promised by the stranger visitors, we too shall be refashioned into the image of the son as we welcome the transforming word of God in our lives. Sisters and brothers, we continue our eucharistic celebration, we pray that we may look into our ways in welcoming Jesus into our lives and be like Mary, choose the better portion, that is, to quiet our busy bodies and spend time listening to the will of God in our lives. Through this, we may be transformed into his divine image and follow his divine will in our lives.