Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C 17 July, 2022.
Theme: Hospitality And God’s Word Kindness is like a relay race. If you receive, you pass it on. – An African Proverb
Hospitality is ‘kindness to visitors’. It is ‘friendly, welcoming, and generous treatment offered to guests or strangers’. The concept of hospitality has had various connotations over the centuries. For instance, in the 6th century, St Benedict wrote in his rule that his monks should receive the stranger as Christ himself. That is, Christ is to be seen in every stranger. The abbeys, monasteries, were havens, sheltered places, for the lonesome traveller. For centuries, men and women have dedicated their lives in Religious Brothers and Sisters to welcoming the stranger and the suffering in their hospitals, which were centres of charity, real ‘guest houses’. My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, now, the situation is different. Though there are still a few sporadic, occurring irregularly, ‘hospices’, nursing homes for dying, or refugees for travellers, and hospitals run by Catholic Religious Bodies. Also, there are Christian denominations still operating hospitals which bear their names, as a rule, the stranger checks in at a motel, motorists’ hotel, which is a short-term lodging for travellers, and the sick person is taken care of in the community hospital, both paying for the service they receive. However, hospitality is still a Christian form of charity. Now, let us think of our families. How do we receive our guests? A visit of friends can still be an enriching experience for both the guests and the hosts and hostesses, provided there is mutual openness, real hospitality. Notably, there are Christians in the world who make their living by welcoming strangers and the sick. In doing so, they can practice service with a smile. The smile has to be sincere, real. Such original smile could make their service Christian. This is God’s word to us this Sunday and it has to be on-going, not occasionally, not a one-off situation. My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, let us think of the hospitality of our congregations towards strangers, regardless of race, colour or creed, for we are all children of God and there is no need for discrimination. There are Parishes which have Committees on Hospitality, and hospitality should be practiced at Parish socials which also give us sense of belonging that we all need to keep on living the Christian life.Thus, the First Reading and the Gospel deal with hospitality, and the stranger/guest was indeed God/Christ Himself. There is the need for us to continue the habit of sincere hospitality, which, in fact, is also service to God in humanity. We must never give room to fear, thereby, stopping us being hospitable. This, indeed, is Christian love guided by Faith, the theme of our last Sunday’s Reflection. It is in faith that we act in hope and love. Today’s First Reading – Genesis 18: 1-10a, gives vivid example of hospitality. In this tradition, our Father in Faith, Abraham, is introduced to us as an example of hospitality. He followed the rule of hospitality common to his time and culture. The point here is that he was gracious. That is, kind and polite. Really, we should see Abraham’s hospitality as related to his faith, his belief, which was rewarded by God. His wife, Sarah, would have a son. My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, let us continue to serve God in humanity in Faith, Hope and Love and God will reward our hearts of sincere service and giving generously. No matter the situation, we must never stop being kind to people. Remember, sincere givers never lack. ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’ In today’s Second Reading, Colossians 1:24-28, we are told that the mystery is in us. Bearing this in mind, we should receive Christ with a mature faith. Notably, Paul himself had preached this mystery to the Colossians. Let us note here that a mystery, ‘puzzling event or situation’, is something we should penetrate into ever more by faithful meditation. My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, just as we grow in understanding loved ones by daily conversations, so should we grow in understanding our Lord by meditatively reading and listening to his words in Scripture and meeting him with an open mind in our fellow humans/guests as portrayed in both today’s First Reading and the Gospel. Whenever we are hospitable, kind, to people, especially strangers, this is an expression of the Christ in us. To be kind, to be generous, is to be Christ-like. God loves a generous giver. This is what we are called to do in our daily journey of Faith in Hope and Love. ‘Blessed are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience’ (Luke 8:15). This is the Gospel Acclamation of today’s Liturgy. Furthermore, the Gospel – Luke 10:38-42, teaches us openness to the guests. It highlights how to open our hearts and doors to people, especially, the needy. That is, how to be hospitable. Kindness is like a relay race. If you receive, you pass it on. (An African Proverb) Here, in the Gospel, Martha and Mary were hospitable towards our Lord Jesus Christ though, each in her own way. Martha was ‘busy with all the details of hospitality’ and doing ‘the household tasks’. On her part, Mary listened attentively to Jesus’ words. Undoubtedly, my Brothers, Sisters and Friends, both aspects of hospitality are important. Still, we need to bear in mind that the openness to the guest as a person, in this case to our Lord’s message of salvation, is more important. When we receive Christ in other human beings, we should have an open eye for this mystery. We are to note that whenever each of us experiences goodness, Christ is present. To be kind is to be generous and to be generous is to be kind. ‘Hospitality is simply an opportunity to show love and care.’ Being hospitable to people is an exhibition of our Lord Jesus Christ in us as Christians, Christ’s followers. Jesus Christ’s outstretched arms on the cross signify his love for and invitation to all, irrespective of race, colour or creed. This is exactly what we are called to imitate in our daily Christian living. My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, please, I humbly request all of us to pray for the repose of the following people: Most Rev. George Jonathan Dodo, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, who was called to Eternal Life on Friday, 8 July, 2022. Mr Sola Oguntoyinbo (of Osi-Ekiti), the younger Brother of Mr Segun Oguntoyinbo, who was called to Eternal Life on Thursday, 30 June, 2022. Sir (Chief) Clement Adeola Ayoola, KSG, (of Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti), former National President of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, who was called to Eternal Life on Tuesday, 17 May, 2022. Sir (Professor Emeritus) Emmanuel Ajayi Olofin, KSM, KSS (of Oke-Oro-Ekiti), who was called to Eternal Life on Tuesday, 14 June, 2022. May these children of God keep resting in peace and may God bless, sustain, strengthen, protect and guide their beloved families, friends and well-wishers, and the Catholic Diocese of Zaria. Amen. God bless and guard His Church always. God bless and guard our country, Nigeria, always. Psalm 15 (Responsorial Psalm) Lord, who may abide in your tent? Whoever walks without fault;who does what is just,and speaks the truth from his heart.Who does not slander with his tongue.Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who does no wrong to a neighbour,who casts no slur on a friend,who looks with scorn on the wicked,but honours those who fear the LORD. Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who lends no money at interest,and accepts no bribes against the innocent.Such a one shall never be shaken. Lord, who may abide in your tent? Kindness is like a relay race. If you receive, you pass it on. – An African Proverb With confidence in God and Christ being our strength, wherever God leads us, we FOLLOW with joy, commitment and happiness.
Most Rev. Felix Femi Ajakaye
Bishop of Ekiti.
