Year C
Discover the deeper meaning and connections found in this week's readings, through these great commentaries written by our priests.
Explore this week's readings and hear what God is saying to us through His Word.
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Genesis 18:1-10
Summer holidays are a time to give or receive hospitality. Grandparents may welcome their grandchildren for a few days of holiday. When families or individuals travel, they usually rely on the hospitality of hotels or guest houses.
During the rest of the year, when people can often be in a rush, we can easily lose sight of the value of hospitality, but it is evident in the life of Abraham. In today’s first reading Abraham welcomes three travellers, who are actually more than just human visitors.
It is unclear whether there are three visitors or just one, because the story begins by saying: “the Lord appeared” to Abraham. So also, the story concludes with the Lord’s promise to Abraham: “I will surely return to you.” The famous Trinity icon by the Russian painter Andrei Rublev illustrates the idea of some church fathers that these visitors were the three persons of the divine Trinity: “They saw three but worshipped one” (tres vidit et unum adoravit).
In the story, Abraham and Sarah are specially rewarded for their hospitality. God will finally give them along-awaited son (Isaac). Today, God can still come to us with his blessings ,if we are open and welcoming to him. We can ask ourselves how hospitable we are to others.
Psalm 14(15): This psalm offers us an examination of conscience as we approach God.
Col 1:24-28
Whereas we often shy away from suffering, Paul rejoices in his hardships because he knows that they will spiritually benefit the church community at Colosse in Asia Minor (Turkey). Because he sees himself as a minister or servant (diakonos)for the church, he is aware that he has to bear his share of Christ’s sufferings for their sake. Paul marvels that through Christ, salvation is available not only for his own people but now for all nations. He highlights the presence of “Christ in you” (or “Christ among you”), because this means that we have the hope of glory. The call to us today is to welcome Christ in us and among us. Let us allow him to come personally into our hearts, and into the lives of our families and communities.
Luke 10:38-42
The gospel reports the hospitality shown to Jesus by Martha and Mary, but the two sisters welcome him in different ways. Mary gives Jesus her full attention, sitting at the Lord’s feet like a student rabbi learning from a Master. In the same way, Paul sat at the feet of rabbi Gamaliel as a disciple (Acts 22:3).
Meanwhile Martha is distracted with a great deal of serving. She wants everything to be right to welcome such an important guest, so she bustles around. Because she has so many details to worry about, she is resentful that her sister has left her alone to do all the serving.
The early Greek gospel manuscripts differ on Jesus’ exact wording to her. The Jerusalem Bible follows 4th century copies, saying: “Few things are needed, indeed only one.” But the English Standard Version in the new lectionary follows the earliest manuscripts by saying simply: “One thing is necessary.” By implication, the one thing necessary is to listen to God’s word and put it into practice.
It is certainly important to serve others, as the good Samaritan had done in the previous story, but we all have a basic need to listen to God’s word. During the holiday season, when we often have a break from the bustle of work, let us give some time for listening to the Lord.
Today’s collect is worth a homily in itself. We need to remember its original context. In the early medieval Roman Mass, it formed the conclusion of a lengthy ritual where members of the Congregation (lots of them, not just two or three like our ‘Offertory Procession’) brought small loaves and flasks of wine to the altar where the deacons and others arranged them ready for the Eucharistic Prayer. This ritual would have taken perhaps half an hour, so it was a significant moment visually in the Rite of Mass.
The collect speaks of the Mass, the ritualising of Christ’s ‘one perfect sacrifice,’ completing the sacrifices ordained by the Torah. It also gives the sacrifice of Abel as a further, pre-Torah, prototype (as does the Roman Canon). In this way the Collect situates the Sacrifice of Christ/The Mass as the fulfilment of all human ritual acts.
If you are familiar with the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna you will see these prototypes of the Eucharistic Sacrifice portrayed in the mosaics there.
Then the Collect brings it to the ‘here and now.’ Each of the faithful has brought bread and wine. But their gifts will effect the salvation of the whole Church. It is a beautiful bit of ecclesiology.
Intercession: that Christ, who inspires our prayers by the Holy Spirit, may make them bear fruit in works of charity and justice.
Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.
Be still for the presence of the Lord (CFE72, L720, LHON165)
Blest are the pure in heart (CFE88, L908, LHON174, TCH208)
Come my way, my truth, my life (L911, LHON215)
O Lord you are the centre of my life (CFE543, L423)
God be in my head (CFE205, L914, LHON283)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
