By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted July 18, 2025

(See the readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

A few weeks ago I got a call from someone who had been friends with one of my deceased aunts. She started saying, “this might be a strange request.” She was looking for photographs of a family member who had stayed with my grandparents when he had come over from Ireland back in the late 1950s or early ‘60s. She had explained to me that her family member was immigrating to the United States and needed somewhere to stay. My grandparents happily took him in for a few years until he got settled.

As she was telling me the story, I remembered hearing about this and similar stories of how my grandparents offered hospitality to a number of immigrants coming here from the homeland. My grandfather himself had been, along with a number of his siblings, immigrants. He himself experienced similar hospitality when he had arrived and then once he was settled was able to do the same for others. I’m sure many other immigrant communities have similar experiences. These people, including my grandparents, were offering hospitality.

The example I mention above might be considered extra-ordinary hospitality. Most of us are more familiar with the ordinary forms of hospitality usually related to a meal. Most of us have experienced this from both ends – as a host, and as a guest. As a host we find joy in welcoming friends and family, providing a meal and companionship and enjoying the company of guests. As visitors we are grateful for the opportunity to spend time and conversation with our hosts. Hospitality is a wonderful way of engaging others and building friendships.

We see the importance of hospitality in the first reading for this Sunday’s liturgy when Abraham encounters the three visitors as he was sitting on a hot day by the entrance to his tent. When he sees them, he runs out, greets them and asks them to stay. He wants to serve them: to give them some water, to bathe their feet and to share a meal. Notice that hospitality is important for Abraham. He will be honored if they allow him to serve them. This is of great value to him. That value was woven into his life and culture.

Hospitality also takes on a thematic role in the Gospel passage for Sunday’s liturgy. The episode recalls the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary. The sisters welcome Jesus into their home, share his companionship, and most likely, a meal. In this gathering we gain some wonderful insights into hospitality and discipleship. The story has a dramatic element developed in the contrast between the two sisters and their approach to hospitality.

Mary welcomes Jesus. She spends her time sitting with him and “listening to him.” Martha, on the other hand, is busy with the “duties” of hospitality (preparing a meal, serving, etc.). Martha becomes upset with her sister. Martha thinks she is doing all the important work while Mary is sitting there doing nothing. When she complains to Jesus, he tells her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Jesus refers to Mary as choosing the “better part.” What does he mean? Using the comparative term “better,” Jesus is saying that all the service that Martha was offering was a good thing. Why was Mary’s better? The answer lies in the purpose of hospitality; that is, to engage the visitor in friendship. When Jesus arrives Martha is so busy doing good things for Jesus that she is neither engaging him nor attentive to him. The “better part” is being present to Jesus, the guest.

If we step back a little and see this encounter within the larger context of the Gospel, we will see one of Jesus’ roles is that of a prophet. A prophet is one who is a messenger, one who carries and speaks the word of God. Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary provides an opportunity to hear the word of God. Any conversation he has will communicate the words of life. So Mary sitting with Jesus is being present to him. She is in his company and she engages him.

As the evangelist tells us, “she listens to him.” This is the “better part.” Mary’s understanding of hospitality goes to the heart of the encounter and the visit. She offers him herself in her attention and her listening.

Hospitality is an important part of Christian life. In many ways it reflects the twofold command of love we heard about last week. Welcoming others, being attentive to them, offering them food, drink, shelter and engagement are all good things – they are acts of charity, acts of love. In our relationship with Christ, we can learn a great lesson from the hospitality that Mary offered Jesus.

Today when we welcome him, we welcome him into our lives, our hearts and heads. We offer neither food nor drink, shelter nor comfort for he needs none of these. We, like Mary in her home, offer him ourselves. We are present to him and we listen to him; and in doing so, we love him.

***

Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.