Have you ever felt that no one is listening to you? As a priest, I often hear about children who don’t listen to their parents, parents who don’t listen to their children, husbands who don’t listen to their wives and wives who don’t listen to their husbands. Bosses don’t listen to their employees; coworkers don’t listen to each other. Why does this happen? It could be that adults are stressed or overburdened or tired or distracted. Children also experience a multiple of distractions in their lives. In all these situations, people can and do shutdown simply to shut the noise out. However, if we want to sustain healthy relationships in all the different facets of our lives, it is important for us to be present to each other. It also is important for us to acknowledge each other and to affirm each other.
Two of today’s readings, the first reading from Genesis 18:1-10A and the Gospel from Luke 10:38-42, focus on the importance of hospitality and on the Ministry of Presence. Hospitality was a significant virtue in Biblical cultures. A Jewish scholar observed that in the Torah there are thirty-six warnings against improper action towards strangers and that the commandment, “Thou shall love the stranger,” occurs frequently. In those days one’s life could depend on the hospitality of another. And Jesus often depended on the hospitality of other people because he did not have a home of his own.
Today’s first reading from Genesis 18:1=10, is one of the great stories of welcome and hospitality in all of scripture. Abraham welcomed the Lord, in the guise of three angels, into his camp. He directed Sara and a servant to prepare a meal for them and at the end, Abraham and Sara received a blessing for their gracious hospitality.
In today’s gospel, Luke 10:38-42, Martha and Mary welcomed Jesus into their home. Like Abraham in the first reading, Martha was galvanized into action when Jesus entered the house. Unlike Abraham, she did not have a servant or a wife to do all the work. Martha was” burdened” with all the serving and probably did not enjoy the visit. In the meantime, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet “listening to him speak.” In his commentary on this Gospel William Barclay calls the tension in the story The Clash of Temperaments. I am not sure that the issue is temperament. It seems to me that St Luke is drawing a clear distinction between hospitality and presence. Abraham and Martha both fulfilled the requirements of hospitality. After Sara and the servant did all the preparation Abraham waited on the men and attended to all their needs while they ate. But Mary chose to be totally present to Jesus. She sat and listened.
Hospitality is important. But Presence is so much more important. Being present requires focus and discipline. Being present means putting aside all those things about which we are anxious and worried and concentrating on what really matters. When we are in church being present means being open to the Word of God and open to the presence of Jesus who is present to us. When we are with other people being present means directing all our attention to them so that we really see and hear them.
Loving God and Father,
you draw near to us in Christ
and make yourself our guest.
Amid the cares of our daily lives,
make us attentive to your voice
and alert to your presence,
that we may treasure your word above all else.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
AMEN.
