Galatians 1:13-24 / Luke 10:38-42
Paul talks about life: God has called me to conversion.
In his book My Life without God, William F. Murray, son of the famous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, describes his conversion to Christianity at the age of 33. Murray, like Paul, embarked on a crusade to spread the Gospel he once ridiculed. After his conversion, he wrote two open letters. One was to a newspaper in Austin, Texas, apologizing for helping build the American Atheist Center in Austin. The other was to the Baltimore Sun, apologizing for his part in getting Bible reading and prayer removed from public schools in that city. He was the plaintiff in the famous Supreme Court case of 1963.
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How hard do we work for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? "You are the chosen race . . . chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvellous light." 1 Peter 2:9
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One of the causes of dissatisfaction and discontentment in our lives is that we look away from our own turf and we begin to envy the seemingly greener pastures that other people are in. We begin to look at others and start to dream about their cushy lives, their exciting jobs, the nice things they have, their happy families, etc. We allow these distractions to come in because we think that who we are and what we are doing is insignificant, boring, frustrating, unrewarding and unrecognized. That is simply because we are dissatisfied and unhappy with what we are doing.
**** In the gospel, Martha complained about her sister, maybe because she was unhappy about not getting any recognition and attention. She was simply distracted from what she was doing. Jesus was not saying that sitting around and listening to Him is more important than cooking and cleaning. Jesus is saying that whatever we are doing, we just have to be focused and count our blessings and give thanks to God. That is the one thing that is important and that is also the one thing that is needed in our lives. Because that is also the one thing that will bring out satisfaction and happiness in our lives.
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We speak much today of poverty and or returning to the true values of the Gospel. What St. Francis of Assisi (1181?82-1226) undertook in the 13th century might very well inspire our times. Today’s society threatens to destroy itself in many parts of the world by its own philosophy and prosperity; even in developing countries, artificial needs are forced on people, to the loss of the deeper values of God and people. What we need is not only talk about poverty and evangelical living, but responsible Christian living according to the values of the Gospel.
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Tuesday of 27th Week
HOSPITALITY Introduction Paul asserts that he has the right to speak in the name of Christ because Jesus Christ himself has given him the good news to speak it. A hospitable family or person makes guests feel at home and gives them the best available. But if we are truly hospitable, we are also listening to the guest and to receive from him or her perhaps more than we give and in a deeper way. We receive the guest as a person. God presents himself in the Bible as a traveller on a journey. He asks for hospitality as a stranger or a poor person. Christ also says that in the homeless we welcome him.
Opening Prayer Our loving God and Father, you have invited us to stay with you, to listen to the message of Jesus your Son and to accept from him your peace and love. May we welcome him wholeheartedly and learn from him to welcome him too in people who appeal to us for forgiveness and a bit of warmth, for patience and hope and joy. Let them not pass your servants by. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Commentary In the detailed description of his calling, Paul insists that his is not merely a human vocation. For years he had been an enemy of the church, which he persecuted relentlessly. He was schooled in Judaism much beyond his peers. All of this up until the time when the God who had called from before his birth revealed his Son to Paul and directed him to proclaim him among the Gentiles. Without any human consultation, Paul began his work. Only after three years had passed did he go to Jerusalem to confer with Peter and James. He continued his Gentile mission and was known in Judea only by name as the one who now preaches the faith he tried to destroy. In the Gospel today we are faced with contemplation (Mary) and action (Martha). The former has greater importance, but both are necessary. Paul is a happy combination of the two. His intense life of prayer linked him with the Lord and the various churches where his evangelizing efforts had been felt. He wanted only to know and experience Christ in the power of the resurrection and to join in Christ’s sufferings. His active life carried him through much of Asia Minor, where he preached and worked for his own livelihood. In our times, there is far more Martha in our lives than there is Mary. Paul reminds us that without Christ crucified at the heart of our ministry our life lacks focus. Prayer is important for all of us. In times past when I rode the commuter train regularly into the city, I always kept my rosary at hand so that I would use the time with profit. One night a well-dressed young businessman was seated across the aisle from me, praying his beads. I was immediately reminded of what I wanted to do but found I had left my rosary at home. I did the best I could, but before deboarding, I thanked the gentleman for the reminder he had given me. For both of us it was a positive experience.
Points to Ponder Total conversion in Paul’s life The necessity of a Martha Love for the life of prayer
Intercessions – That we may recognize the Lord in the features of a stranger and welcome him as we would welcome the Lord himself, we pray: – That we may welcome the best our brothers and sisters give us, even before we share the best of ourselves with them, we pray: – That we may be and remain hospitable people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts Father, may we welcome Jesus your Son in these offerings of bread and wine, Open us to his word and his mentality. Prepare us to welcome him in people and to encounter him in their person, even when he comes at another time and in another way than we expect him. Enrich us by giving to, and receiving from, one another your greatest gift to us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion Lord our God, you have come among us in your Son to be our guest. In our everyday life may we always be open to anyone in need. Help us to recognize you and welcome you in everyone who comes to us. In every human encounter offer us your grace and love through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives with you and stays with us now and for ever.
Blessing In this Eucharist we have been the Lord’s own guests. He has been very hospitable to us, listening to us and speaking to us his warm words of friendship. He sends us out now to be one another’s guests and hosts. Welcome now the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
