'Striving to be 'CHRIST in the World'

My dear friends,
One of the themes we get from the scriptures this weekend is that of ‘service’ which was also a big theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
In the 1st Reading, Abraham greets three men standing outside his home and offers them hospitality. It’s interesting that there are three of them, perhaps an echo of the Trinity? There have been various scholarly views on who they might be, e.g. three angels, the pre-incarnate Christ and two angels etc. The reading itself doesn’t explain who they are but when we consider one of the core teachings of the bible about caring for the stranger, perhaps they are stand-in for every person? I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”
Abraham and Sarah give a warm welcome to the three, providing them with generous hospitality. That’s not all, the three men bring some amazing news – Sarah will soon have a son! The theme of Service continues in the 2nd Reading. Here, Paul is writing from prison (not an uncommon occurrence!) rejoicing that God has called him to be a servant of the Good News. Perhaps this is somewhat surprising, since if my ministry took me in the same direction, I’m not sure I would be praising God for being locked up, quite the opposite!
Today’s Gospel follows on from the story of the sending out of the seventy two, who will take nothing with them and will rely on the hospitality and welcome of the townspeople when they visit, this is a lesson in trust, not only of God, but others. We might flinch at the latter, as human beings are not always trustful. But perhaps this is also a lesson in how to handle misplaced trust as well.
Today, we hear how Jesus himself visits a village and is welcomed by Martha. On entering the house, Martha gets busy in the kitchen with a keen eye on hospitality, while Mary is seated at the feet of Jesus listening to him. When Martha complains that Mary isn’t doing anything, Jesus responds, “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”
I always feel a bit sorry for Martha; she’s only trying her best. I guess the spiritual journey is a combination of both listening and doing – each facet informs the other. For those of us who get bogged down in lots of doing and not much listening, this gospel is a useful lesson. It’s also a reminder that it’s not easy to get the balance right, for any of us.
Finishing up of the theme of Service, each of us is called to serve, but we each serve in our own way, bringing our special skills, our personality and our way of being and doing. If we tried to build a house by employing only a plumber, we would miss out on the skills and contribution of the electrician and the bricklayer. We need everyone, women and men, boys and girls!
Wishing you well for the week,

Fr Brett

'We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.'

Oscar Romero