DECIMOSEXTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO (2025)

Comencemos esta reflexión dominical con estas preguntas:

¿Acojo a las personas que encuentro por el camino?

¿Tengo tiempo para compartir con mi familia y mis amigos?

¿Tengo tiempo para rezar y estar a solas con Dios?

Si hoy invito a Jesús a mi casa, ¿qué vería? ¿Nos quejaríamos los unos de los otros? ¿Te quejarías de tu marido, de tu mujer, de tus hijos, de tus padres, de tus parientes o de tus vecinos? ¿Le mostrarías tu vida real o tu vida oculta?

Mis queridos hermanos y hermanas, a veces estamos tan ocupados que no tenemos tiempo para compartir con nuestras familias o con Jesucristo. Somos como Marta, tan absorbidos por nuestras tareas diarias que no tenemos mucho tiempo para compartir con las personas que amamos. Podría decir que el tema principal de las lecturas de hoy es la HOSPITALIDAD.

En el libro del Génesis encontramos a Abraham, que acoge con amor y cortesía a tres extranjeros que llegan a la puerta de su casa. En el Evangelio, Jesús es acogido por una familia que le invita a su casa para compartir con Él en un ambiente familiar. Las lecturas nos invitan a cada uno de nosotros a practicar la hospitalidad, recordando las palabras de Jesús, que nos ha dicho que cuando acogemos a una persona necesitada, lo acogemos a el mismo.

En este mundo individualista, racista y discriminador, se nos invita a tener la puerta abierta para acoger a los viajeros, a los inmigrantes, a los que se sienten solos y abandonados, a los enfermos, a los refugiados, a los ancianos. Debemos reconocer en ellos la figura de Cristo. Recordemos que Abrahán no sabía quiénes eran esas personas que lo visitaban, pero aun así fue hospitalario con ellas y las acogió con afecto, y como resultado de esa acogida, acabaron bendiciendo su vida.

En el Evangelio de hoy, vemos dos actitudes diferentes ante la visita del Señor. Marta, que está ocupada preparándolo todo para atenderle y María, que se sienta a sus pies para escucharle. Marta adopta la actitud de la que está ocupada, haciendo muchas cosas, y para la que no hay tiempo suficiente

para sentarse a compartir con la visita, y se queja ante Jesús por la actitud indiferente de su hermana María. Jesús le responde: "Marta, Marta, estás inquieta y preocupada por muchas cosas. Sólo necesitas una cosa. María ha escogido la mejor parte y no le será quitada".

Es obvio que una buena atención forma parte de la hospitalidad, pero lo que a veces más se espera en una visita no es que alguien se olvide de atender al huésped, sino que el anfitrión se tome tiempo para compartir con él, para estar con él y disfrutar de su presencia. La persona que vino a la casa a compartir con Marta y María fue Jesús y Él nos ha dicho que no ha venido a ser servido, sino a servir. Viene a compartir, a dialogar, a escuchar y a ser escuchado. Quizás esto lo olvidó Marta y muchos cristianos que no tienen tiempo para nada, ni siquiera para sentarse con Jesús y sus familias. Podemos preguntarnos hoy: ¿Qué parte he elegido yo? María eligió quedarse a los pies de Jesús y escucharle. Comprendió que era una oportunidad única de tener en casa a un invitado especial, y supo que tenía que aprovechar la presencia de Jesús en su casa y así lo hizo.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, creo que Jesús está invitando a muchas personas a prestar atención a sus Palabras, porque están tan ocupadas, como Marta, que él les dice: «Estás ansioso y preocupado por muchas cosas». No olvides prestar atención a lo que es importante en esta vida: «Compartir tu tiempo con Dios y con las personas que más amas».

Por último, recordemos que tanto Abraham como María, Marta y Lázaro fueron bendecidos por la acogida que dieron a los ángeles, en el caso de Abraham, y a Jesús, en el caso de la familia de Lázaro. Hermanos y hermanas, no cierren la puerta de su corazón. No cierren la puerta de su casa. No cierren la puerta de su familia a los que están necesitados y llamando a sus puertas. No le cierren la puerta Dios y saquen tiempo para estar con Jesús y compartir con sus familias. Amén

P. Luis Segura

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SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (2025)

Let us begin this Sunday reflection with these questions:

Do I welcome the people I meet along the way?

Do I have time to share with my family and friends?

Do I have time to pray and be alone with God?

If I invited Jesus into my home today, what would he see? Would we complain about each other? Would you complain about your husband, your wife, your children, your parents, your relatives, or your neighbors? Would you show him your real life or your hidden life?

My dear brothers and sisters, sometimes we are so busy that we don't have time to share with our families or with Jesus Christ. We are like Martha, so absorbed in our daily tasks that we don't have much time to share with the people we love. I could say that the main theme of today's readings is HOSPITALITY.

In the Book of Genesis, we find Abraham welcoming three strangers with love and courtesy who arrive at his door. In the Gospel, Jesus is welcomed by a family who invites him into their home to share with him in a familiar atmosphere. The readings invite each of us to practice hospitality, remembering Jesus' words: when we welcome a person in need, we welcome him.

In this individualistic, racist, and discriminatory world, we are invited to keep our doors open to welcome travelers, immigrants, those who feel lonely and abandoned, the sick, refugees, and the elderly. We must recognize in them the figure of Christ. Let us remember that Abraham did not know who these people who visited him were, but he was hospitable to them nonetheless and welcomed them with affection, and as a result of that welcome, they ended up blessing his life.

In today's Gospel, we see two different attitudes toward the Lord's visit: Martha, who is busy preparing everything to receive Him, and Mary, who sits at His feet to listen to Him. Martha adopts the attitude of someone who is busy, doing many things, and who does not have enough time to sit and share with the visitor. She complains to Jesus about her sister Mary's indifferent attitude. Jesus responds: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. You need only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her."

It's obvious that good service is part of hospitality, but what is sometimes most expected during a visit is not that someone forgets to serve the guest, but that the host takes time to share with them, to be with them, and enjoy their presence. The person who came to the house to share with Martha and Mary was Jesus, and He has told us that He did not come to be served, but to serve. He comes to share, to dialogue, to listen, and to be listened to. Perhaps Martha forgot this, as did many Christians who don't have time for anything, not even to sit with Jesus and their families. We can ask ourselves today: What part have I chosen? Mary chose to stay at Jesus's feet and listen to Him. She understood that it was a unique opportunity to have a special guest in her home, and she knew she had to take advantage of Jesus' presence in her home, and she did.

Dear brothers and sisters, I believe Jesus is inviting many people to pay attention to his words, because they are so busy, like Martha, that he tells them: "You are anxious and worried about many things." Don't forget to pay attention to what is important in this life: "Sharing your time with God and with the people you love most."

Finally, let us remember that Abraham, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were all blessed by the welcome they gave to the angels, in Abraham's case, and to Jesus, in Lazarus's family's case. Brothers and sisters, do not close the door of your heart. Do not close the door of your home. Do not close the door of your family to those in need and knocking at your door. Do not close the door to God, and make time to be with Jesus and share with your families. Amen.

Fr. Luis Segura

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Listening to Jesus’ Word is the Good Portion…

The Gospel of this Sunday’s Liturgy presents us with a lively domestic scene with Martha and Mary, two sisters who extend their hospitality to Jesus in their home (cf. Lk 10:38-42). Martha immediately sets about welcoming the guests, whereas Mary sits at Jesus’ feet to listen to him. Then Martha turns to the Master and asks him to tell Mary to help her. Martha’s complaint does not seem out of place; indeed, we would tend to agree with her. Yet Jesus answers her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:41-42). This is a surprising answer. But Jesus overturns our way of thinking many times. Let us ask ourselves why the Lord, while appreciating Martha’s generous attentiveness, says that Mary’s attitude is to be preferred.

Martha’s “philosophy” seems to be this: first duty, then pleasure. In effect, hospitality is not composed of fine words, but demands that you roll up your sleeves, that everything necessary is done so the guest feels welcome. Jesus is well aware of this. And indeed, he acknowledges Martha’s effort. However, he wants to make her understand that there is a new order of priorities, different from the one she had followed until then. Mary had sensed that there is a “good portion” that must be accorded first place. Everything else comes after, like a stream flowing from the source. And so, we wonder: what is this “good portion”? It is listening to Jesus’ words. The Gospel says Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (v. 39). Note: she did not listen while standing, doing other things, but she sat at Jesus’ feet. She understood that he is not like other guests. At first sight it seems that he has come to receive, because he needs food and lodging, but in reality, the Master came to give himself to us through his word.

The word of Jesus is not abstract; it is a teaching that touches and shapes our life, changes it, frees it from the opaqueness of evil, satisfies and infuses it with a joy that does not pass: Jesus’ word is the good portion, that which Mary had chosen. Therefore, she gives it first place: she stops and listens. The rest will come after. This does not detract from the value of practical effort, but it must not precede, but rather flow from listening to the word of Jesus. It must be enlivened by his Spirit. Otherwise, it is reduced to fussing and fretting over many things, it is reduced to sterile activism.

Brothers and sisters, let us take advantage of this vacation time to stop and listen to Jesus. Nowadays it is increasingly difficult to find free time to meditate. For many people the rhythm of work is frenetic and wearisome. Summertime can be valuable also for opening the Gospel and reading it slowly, without haste, a passage each day, a short passage from the Gospel. And this lets us enter into this dynamic of Jesus. Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by those pages, asking ourselves how our life, my life, is going, if it is in line with what Jesus says, or not so much. We must start the day by first of all looking to the Lord, taking his Word, briefly, but allowing this to be the inspiration for the day. If we leave the house in the morning keeping a word of Jesus in mind, the day will surely acquire a tone marked by that word, which has the power to orient our actions according to the Lord’s wishes.

May the Virgin Mary teach us to choose the good portion, which will never be taken from us. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 17 VII 22]

Rev. Rajesh Peter M.S.C

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C

My friends, I previously  gave this homily in 2007 at Our Lady of Solitude but I’d like to share it again…

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…Our gospel reading today about Martha and Mary always touches me in a personal way and I’d like to share that with you.  St. Martha was the favorite saint of my first wife, Pat, who died of ovarian cancer in 1998.  Some of you may remember her.  She was a member of this parish and worked here for many years.  First as parish secretary and then as Pastoral Associate.

This gospel reading always troubled Pat because she seldom recited formal prayers.  And here was Jesus – saying that Mary had chosen the better part because she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. 

Pat was a good and holy woman who never committed a serious sin in her life but she was troubled because she didn’t recite “formal” prayers.  Oh, she tried –  again and again over the years….  But she would get distracted and frustrated.  Like many of us, she was so busy with her home, her family, her work, her volunteering….

Although she didn’t recite formal prayers, she did pray.  She talked to and listened to God all the time in a very real and personal way but not with “formal” prayers. 

Pat’s whole life was a prayer but nonetheless when she heard this gospel, she would feel guilty.

Then, one Sunday morning, we were leaving this church after the 7:00 am Mass.  The gospel reading was the same as today.  We were only a few feet outside of the church and Pat stopped…

She said, “John !  Who was the gospel about today ?”

• I sighed and said, “Saint Martha.”

• She said, “Who ?”

• I said, “Saint Martha.”

• Pat said, “That’s right !  SAINT Martha !  SAINT Martha !  She’s a SAINT !  She made it !  She’s in Heaven !  …Maybe there’s hope for me !  Maybe I can make it !”

Immediately, St. Martha became a very special person in Pat’s life.  She always made sure that she went to Mass on the Feast Day of St. Martha – and the priests who were here at the time always offered that Mass for Pat’s intentions.

My friends, Jesus may as well have been talking to Pat when he said:

• “There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

• “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.”

Yes, Mary did choose the better part.  And, although it was the better part, it wasn’t the only part.  In our life, as followers of Jesus we are called to obey the Two Great Commandments given to us by Jesus:

• The first (and most important) is to love God.

• The second is to love our neighbors – our brothers and sisters.

Jesus always taught that both are important and both are needed.   In the life of Jesus, especially in the gospel of Luke, we read about the many times Jesus would go up on the mountain by himself to pray to God.  But then, he would come down from the mountain and serve his brothers and sisters.

Some interesting things about St. Martha:

• Today’s gospel begins with Jesus coming to their home and, it was Martha who welcomed him.

• Now, we know that when Jesus traveled, he was always accompanied by his apostles and disciples.  So – when Jesus knocked on the door – he wasn’t alone.  There were at least 12 others with him.  That’s a lot of cooking and serving and cleaning to do.  It’s no wonder that Martha was anxious.  She was doing all the work and she saw Mary just sitting there.

• When Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, died we are told that when “Martha heard that Jesus was coming, it was she who went out to meet him; but Mary sat at home.”

•  When they arrived at Lazarus’ tomb, Martha’s great faith was shown when she said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you."

•  And, again – when she said to Jesus, "Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

…In our first reading today, we know that Abraham and Sarah had been praying for years and years to have a child.  When the Lord appeared to them in the form of three strangers, he answered their prayers and gave them a son because – not only did they welcome him into their home – Abraham and Sarah prepared and cooked and served food for the Lord.

So, my friends, for those of us who are anxious because our life is so busy that we seldom have time to say prayers or are constantly distracted or fall asleep when we try to pray – we can take heart – knowing that just talking to God while we’re working or driving or shopping or whatever – is prayer.

Remembering also, the other form of prayer is what Abraham and Sarah – and Martha did – namely serving God – even if – especially if – God happens to be in the form of a stranger.

I’d like to share one last thing about Pat.  When I came home from taking her to the hospital, knowing that she would never come home again, I was just walking around the house, looking…….  I walked into the bedroom and saw a “holy card” sitting on the dresser.  I never saw it before.  It was a holy card of St. Martha – with a prayer to St. Martha on the back.  I don’t know if Pat was reading the prayer to St. Martha – or just looking at her picture.

Pat died a few days later – on July 29th – the Feast of St. Martha.

(At Pat’s Mass of Resurrection, the church was full. There wasn’t even standing room – and there were at least 100 people standing outside.  The police came to direct traffic in order to keep them safe.  At her Vigil and her Mass of Resurrection, countless people told stories about how Pat helped them in one way or another.  She was so much like Abraham, Sarah and Martha and she didn’t even know it…)