Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ‘C’

This Sunday, the readings center on two themes that are both timeless and urgently relevant:  the power of genuine hospitality, and the importance of listening - to God, and to each other - in  a world that often glorifies busyness over presence. Underneath it all, we’re invited to rethink  our priorities: to put Christ at the center and let everything else flow from there. 

In the First Reading, we see Abraham and Sarah welcoming strangers with open arms - an act  of kindness that changes their lives forever. Their generous hospitality, offered without an  agenda, becomes the doorway through which God’s blessing enters - a reminder that the  sacred often touches our lives in the guise of those we least expect. 

Paul, writing in the Second Reading, shares a different kind of hospitality: not just opening our  homes, but opening our hearts to the mystery of Christ. In a world overflowing with noise and  distraction, he challenges us to stay receptive to the deeper truths that God wants to reveal, and  to create spaces - both within the church and within ourselves - where everyone feels welcome. 

The Gospel story of Martha and Mary is especially striking in our overscheduled culture. Martha  is the quintessential doer, moving swiftly to serve and provide. Mary chooses to pause, to sit  with Jesus and listen. Jesus gently reminds Martha, and us, that while service is important, it’s  our attentive presence - our capacity to really listen - that grounds all genuine action. 

There’s a message here for our daily lives: faith isn’t just about doing more, but about being  more present. Before we rush to serve, we need to recharge our own spirits. This could mean  carving out honest time for prayer, spending a few quiet moments in stillness, reading Scripture  reflectively, or entering into worship with intention. Only when we’re truly connected - when  we’ve “sat at the feet of Jesus” in our own way - can our actions flow from a place of love, rather  than exhaustion. 

Our world, our workplaces, and our parishes need both “Marthas” and “Marys.” Yes, we need  committed, energetic people to sing, teach, care for others, and make things happen. But we  also need listeners: people willing to slow down, to sit with a friend in need, to pay real attention  to a family member, and to tune in to the voice of God beneath the surface noise of our lives. 

True hospitality begins with listening. It’s in these everyday, often small moments - listening to  our spouse or partner, our children, our neighbors, or the stranger at the door - that we embody  the love of Christ. Human love grows at home, one moment of real attention at a time. 

Let us pray for the wisdom to balance Martha’s generous action with Mary’s attentive presence.