Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Reading I: Genesis 18:1-10a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
Reading II: Colossians 1:24-28
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
Texts of Lectionary Readings

Homily
At the conclusion of the story of the “Good Samaritan” in last Sunday’s gospel reading, Luke continues his narrative by once again placing Jesus on the grand journey up to Jerusalem:

On their journey, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home.

She had a sister named Mary who was also there, but it is the home of Martha and she is the principal person around whom the story today will unfold.

We noted in our introductory remarks last Sunday that Jesus did not answer the question posed by the lawyer: “Who is my neighbor?” but rather reinterprets the situation and forces the lawyer to answer the question which should have been asked. “Which of the three was neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?”

It forces the lawyer (and us) to answer the question which should have been asked, “How can I be a neighbor to others?” In this sense our neighbors are not named. They are anyone who is in need.

Thus the gospel leaves the question open-ended and this idea will be very important for us in the understanding of Luke’s gospel and the teaching of Jesus. In the ancient Lukan community, that little band (community) of Christian disciples in the midst of pagan, hostile Roman culture, will be challenged again and again both as individual Christians and as Church to be neighbor to the community in which it exists – regardless of who these people are: Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, Romans, Pagans, … whatever.

This “Good Samaritan” story of neighborliness is then followed by Luke with a little story which helps us appreciate the condition, the requirement of discipleship, of sensitivity, of hospitality, of being neighborly. Indeed, it is the attitude required of the disciple, the individual Christian and of the whole Christian community, the church.

Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to Jesus and said: “Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me.”

Like the question asked by the lawyer, Jesus now reinterprets the situation: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things.”

Now that’s her problem. She is concerned about so many things that she is not able to pay attention to the needs of both her guest (Jesus) or to the needs of her sister (Mary). That is the one thing that is required – to pay attention, to be hospitable, to the needs of others – whether the one set upon by robbers, the guests in one’s home, or one’s sister or brother or family.

Martha was not being a good neighbor. She is not, however, told to stop what she is doing, nor is Mary told to help her. But what is told to Martha is that she should have the attitude of respect for the needs of others. Martha is told how to relate to others in the community, in the family, whomever.

And that is what is important for us today to learn from the teaching of Jesus about being his followers, his disciples. We must pay attention to (be hospitable to, be good neighbors to) all those in our acquaintance, in our families, our community, our work place, our church. This is the one thing that is required.

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed

Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor