16th Sunday - Fr. Leo
Humility and attentiveness appear as two aspects of the spiritual life in today’s readings. In our first reading from Genesis, Abraham puts himself at the service of the Lord who visited him. Begging them to stay he presents them with a wonderful meal and waits on them asking nothing in return. Here, a man of means, humbles himself to serve the God he sees in his visitors.
Unexpectedly, somehow knowing that Abraham and Sarah were childless, they blessed the humble one by announcing that in a year they will see him again, but he will be with wife and child. In hearing this story we must remember Abraham acted out of humility, not to be rewarded, but to serve the Lord. The blessing he receives in turn is God’s unconditional love for him.
We are to live in humble service of others not looking for reward. The reward is in the doing, in the serving of God in others. So true humility is doing the Lord ’s will. Loving and giving as the Lord gives and loves.
The gospel teaches us that to be close to the Lord, we need to be attentive. Yes, things do need to get done. There is time to be Martha. But, it would be improper to be Martha all the time. Mary, who chooses to sit at the feet of
Jesus and listen that she might draw closer to the Lord is praised for doing so. My guess is that most of us would do well to balance our inner Martha and Mary and spend more time in the silent presence of God. So let us humbly sit before the Lord and choose the better part that in all we do, we may do it in union with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.