16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: ANXIOUS AND WORRIED ABOUT MANY THINGS

Aren’t we all guilty of being anxious and worried about many things? Are we less like Martha and more like Mary?

Jesus cautions Martha in the gospel of this weekend as he visits the house of the Bethany sisters and Lazarus. The reprimand against Martha serves as a lesson against activism that prioritizes one's exterior life over one’s interior life. Martha is the “I am in charge” type of person who gets stretched by her accomplishments. She complains about Mary not helping and demands that Jesus steps in to ask Mary for help, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." Martha lacks something in the process, the ability to give things over to Jesus.

In the first reading, Abraham demonstrates hospitality for strangers and serves them. What then is different between Abraham’s hospitality (GEN. 18:1-10) and that of Martha in the gospel (Lk. 10:38-42)? On face value, Abraham’s actions appear like Martha’s in the gospel, but something is significantly different. Although both Abraham’s hospitality in Genesis 18:1-10 and Martha’s hospitality in Luke 10:38-42 involve service, the responses they receive from God are very different. Understanding the key differences will help illuminate our spiritual lives. Here are some contrasting themes:

The Attitude of the Host

• Abraham’s hospitality is marked by joyful attentiveness and peace. Abraham engages his strangers, runs to meet them, bows, and personally oversees their comfort. Abraham is not anxious, nor is he resentful of Sarah for staying indoors. Abraham does not allow the burdens of service to take away the grace of charity.

• Martha’s hospitality is skewed. Though generous, Martha is clouded by anxiety. Her heightened anxiety gives rise to complaint and comparison. Luke describes Martha as “distracted with much serving” and frustrated that Mary is not helping.

Lesson: Hospitality should be rooted in joy and peace. Hospitality is different from service done in anxiety or self-comparison. God desires not just our work but how we offer it. Hospitality should not produce stress.

Focus on the Guest vs. Focus on the Task

• Abraham’s focus remains fixed on the visitors. He keeps returning to them, standing by while they eat. He is present to them, not just to the meal.

• Martha’s focus is more on the tasks than on Jesus Himself. Her agitation and complaint reveal that the presence of Jesus is not her primary focus at the moment.

Lesson: Genuine hospitality is not just about doing things for God but being with God. Abraham’s attention to his guests parallels Mary’s attention to Christ. A life of contemplation can help us focus on God and less on ourselves. This is one great reason why the Church encourages adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Our help comes from God even when we have crazy schedules.

Interior Disposition: Listening vs. Distractedness

• Abraham listens to the visitors who happen to be angels and receives a promise (the birth of Isaac) as a reward for his openness and reverence.

• Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to His word. Mary’s posture is that of a disciple. Hence, Jesus praises Mary as choosing “the better part.”

• Martha, though well-intentioned, gets distracted. Martha’s anxiety places a burden on her, and she misses the moment of divine intimacy.

Lesson: Contemplation and attentiveness to God's word often bear more spiritual fruit than intense activity, even if that activity is religious or generous. God invites us to listen, then do. Even while in church, it is possible that we are not listening because the burden of a crazy schedule occupies our minds. We can be in an anxiety routine.

The Timing and Nature of Divine Encounter

• In Genesis 18, the divine appears disguised in the form of strangers. Abraham’s response opens the door to revelation. Abraham’s openness is couched in a simplicity of life that conveys grace and presence.

• In Luke 10, the divine is fully revealed in Jesus, who is Emmanuel. Mary recognizes this and chooses to sit and receive. Martha’s complaint tries to draw Mary away from this encounter. Mary places herself at the feet of the Host while Martha wants to play the host.

Lesson: God is present in our lives. He demands a response and a receptive presence. This can be done through contemplation, not distraction or competition over roles.

Conclusion:

Jesus does not rebuke Martha for serving, but for her anxious and troubled heart. Martha becomes disconnected from the presence of her Guest, whereas Abraham, by contrast, models a peaceful hospitality grounded in reverence, openness, and receptivity. Luke’s Gospel offers us a deeper message for discipleship. We must prioritize being with Christ over doing for Christ when those two are in tension. Learn to take it to God in prayer.  Christ warns, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34).

A second lesson from the Bethany encounter is being present with our others/guests. Today, technology and gadgets add to our anxiety. People are less present even when they sit at the dinner table. Checking messages and looking at the phone can be our Martha. We should learn to be more present, receptive to one another, and available like Abraham.

Both service and contemplation are essential, but contemplation gives meaning and direction to service. Human beings listen, contemplate, and then act calmly. Human "doings" do, complain, and then get anxious. Mary and Abraham grasp and reveal the moments of divine encounter. The greatest act of hospitality is to be present, listen, and receive. God hosts us, including our cares and innermost desires: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Ps. 46:10).

READINGS: 1^ST- GEN. 18:1-10; 2^ND- COL. 1:24-28; GOSPEL- Lk. 10:38-42

Reflection Questions

1.       In what areas of my life am I more like Martha—anxious, busy, and distracted rather than present, prayerful, and attentive like Mary or Abraham? (How can I shift from being overwhelmed by service to being rooted in God’s presence?)

2.       Do I focus more on doing things for God than being with God? (What habits or spiritual practices can help me cultivate a more contemplative, listening heart?) 

3.       When I encounter others—family, guests, strangers—am I truly present to them, or am I absorbed by my tasks, devices, or worries? (How can I practice hospitality that is peaceful, joyful, and attentive?)