2022-Jul-17: Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

  2022-Jul-17: Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

 


Opening prayer

Heavenly Father, send forth your Spirit to enlighten our minds
and prepare our hearts to accept your truth.
Help us to listen to one another with openness and honesty,
eager to learn from the insights and intuitions that you have given each of us. 
Never let differences of opinion diminish our mutual esteem and love.
May we leave this meeting with a deeper understanding and love for you and your Son.
In the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Genesis 18:1-10a

Today's reading takes place among the terebinths (Pistacia palaestina), a shrubby tree with red foliage and berries, at Mamre - the very place where Abraham built the sacred altar to Yahweh after the covenant was renewed (Genesis 13:18). 

Tradition also holds that the 99-year-old Abraham was resting here after his circumcision and that of all the male members of his household, including his son by Hagar, Ismael (17:26-27), when today's reading takes place. 

Ancient nomadic desert hospitality customs were a vital moral and even spiritual obligation. People followed these customs as sacred codes of conduct. The stranger was to be received without question, often before knowing who they were. Turning away a guest was seen as a shameful or even sinful act. Hosts would first offer water to drink and to wash feet, then provide a meal. After being refreshed and rested, the guest would be blessed and sent off with provisions or good words. In today's reading, Abraham greets three strangers seen as messengers from god.
 
Today's passage also tells of Abraham's wife Sarah, barren without a child in her old age. Childbirth was very hazardous even for young women, so apart from fear, how does Sarah react to having to conceive in the coming months? Remember this is not the first time she was told so -  (Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-21; & 17:1-27). By now the 90-year-old Sarah was resigned to live out her life guilty of being barren - a failure in the eyes of ancient Middle East cultures for any woman.

Bonus: Read about Rublev's famous painting of the 3 Messengers

Psalm 15

“O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?” (15:1). The “sacred tent” refers to God’s dwelling place—originally the Tabernacle carried by the jews during their Exodus, later the Holy of Holies of the Temple, and today a symbol of God's presence.
 
Psalm 15 offers answers to the question: “How ought we to behave?”
Instead of focusing on external religious rituals and sacrifices, the psalm emphasises personal integrity, our daily decisions in how we treat others, including lending money without charging usury or interest.
 “To walk ‘blamelessly’ living a life that is whole and completely consistent with Yahweh's way.
Those who dwell with God are people of integrity. Their heart, speech, and deeds are obviously aligned with God’s purpose. Those who dwell with God “speak the truth from their heart” (15:2).
In summary, those who dwell with God abandon trusting their ability to shape and control their lives and the world and instead put their trust in God.  

Colossians 1:24-28

Colossae was a once-prominent city in Phrygia, though by Paul’s time, it had declined in importance compared to nearby cities like Laodicea and Hierapolis. It was a culturally diverse region, with Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Eastern influences, but the early Christians were starting to stray away from the faith. 

As in other Roman cities, Christians would have faced social and economic pressure for not participating in emperor worship, local cults, or idolatry. Choosing to follow Christ could mean family rejection, economic loss, or even persecution.

In (Colossians 1:2) St. Paul begins this epistle with a typical salutation, identifying first the author and then the community to whom the letter is addressed: “To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae”. We must read this scripture knowing that the Colossians lived in the shadow of the mighty Roman Empire - where the image of Caesar, revered as nothing less than the son of God, is being displaced by Jesus the image of invisible almighty God. Roman slaves need fear no more because eternal redemption is at hand.
In Colossians, Christ does not bring reconciliation to the individual believer alone, nor only to the church, but to all of God’s creation. The crux of St Paul's message to Gentiles is the divine mystery: “the Messiah in you” (Colossians 1:27). 

Luke 10:38-42

Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus are Jesus’ friends. They open their house to Jesus and his disciples. The Gospel of Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:1-11 are the only Gospels that narrate Jesus’ visit to this family. The evangelist John provides us with more details: Martha serves (John 12:2), Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume and wipes his feet with her hair (John 11:2; 12:3-8), and Lazarus reclines at the table with Jesus (John 12:2). The evangelist Luke only focuses on Martha, Mary, and Jesus. Jesus teaches that the ministry of service (Diakonia in Greek) and the ministry of the word require each other. Marta represents the ministry of service or diakonia (active life), and Mary represents the ministry of the word (contemplative life). Jesus does not want the ministry of service or diakonia to be at the expense of the ministry of the word. Both ministries are important. 
The house represents the early house-churches where believers would gather to learn the faith from the teacher. Martha is exhausted by the burden of taking care of so many guests, which has fallen on her shoulders. She asks Jesus whether he cares that Mary left her alone to serve the guests. She asks Jesus to tell Mary to assist her. Martha’s complaint is fair. Jesus gently acknowledges Martha’s exhaustion and reminds her of her distraction. He praises Mary for choosing to listen to his teaching.
The twelve apostles focused on their ministry of spreading the word and called on seven male deacons to take responsibility for the ministry service or diakonia. Stephen and Philip are two of the seven deacons. Later in their ministries, they engage in the ministry of the word.
In our present culture of hectic schedules, if our endless activity leaves us with no time to be still in the Lord’s presence and hear God’s word, we too are likely to end up anxious and troubled. And just like Martha are likely to end up providing service that is devoid of love and joy, and are resentful of others.

Closing prayer

Let Your God Love You - Edwina Gateley

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.

Let your God—
Love you. Amen

Our Father - Hail Mary - Glory be


Location: 1860 Grant Rd, Los Altos, CA 94024, USA

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