Deliver God's message from the comfort of your home

SCRIPTURE NOTEBOOK 161h ORDINARY SUNDAY (YEAR C) July 23, 1989 Genesis 18:1-10 Colossians 1:24-28 Luke 10: 38-42
ICONS are not holy pictures. They are more than holy "family snaps" which put us in mind of a favourite saint or divine event. Icons have been described as "windows into heaven", for it is the real person or special holy event which is loved and venerated through the icon. Every artist prepares well for his painting, but none as thoroughly as the iconographer, who keeps solemn fast and mixes his paints with holy oils and accompanies every brush stroke with prayer. There is no attempt made by the icon painter to be "realistic" in his portrayal. Rather, he follows age old standard forms of presentation, and every gesture and colour or composition, contains great meaning.
One of the most popular icons we see available is that of the Holy Trinity painted by the Russian iconographer, Andrei Rublev, many centuries ago. He depicts the Blessed Trinity as three angels sitting at table beneath an oak tree. He derives his imagery from today's First Reading, and reminds us that men have entertained angels unaware of their identity. Certainly, the great hospitality shown by Abraham and Sarah, and the lengths to which they went to please their guest, was rewarded by the most precious gift the patriarch and his wife desired: God's precious gift of a son.
The painter does not show us Abraham and Sarah, busy baking, gathering the calf and the milk to put before the Lord. Instead, he shows us God-inTrinity sitting with great dignity and majesty, waiting to be served. Lucky for old Abraham that he recognised who his special guest was, and that his efforts to do what was right were deemed to be acceptable. Unprepared, Abraham did the right thing automatically, and was rewarded. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were conscious of the presence of God everywhere, and had the strength of faith to do what was right automatically?!
Although each of us has a special personal vocation, the call varies, and so does the response. St Paul hears Christ calling him, and is willing to suffer for the privilege of answering that call (Second Reading). And in today's Gospel we have other examples: Martha rushes about getting things ready for Him. Which reaction is the right one? Be honest it the Queen turned up on your doorstep this afternoon, and the house was in need of a quick tidy-up, wouldn't you rush around to set things right and make things comfortable for her?
On the other hand, if she wanted to chat over a cuppa, wouldn't you sit with her and relish every word? The same with poor Martha and Mary. It's not that one was wrong and the other right. Both were
responding in their own way to the urgency of a special event. Both were right. The Lord does not condemn them. But His words remind us that sometimes we can become so wrapped up in the "How" and "When" that we forget the "Why"! All the rushing around is of no effect, if the mind and heart is not focussed on what matters most.
Life hasn't changed much in two thousand years, has it? There's something of Martha and Mary in each one of us. The speed of life and the preoccupations of the ordinary home, let alone the hi-tech world, seem to leave little space for what matters most. We need a little peace, so that we can listen attentively to Christ, and practice the spiritual hospitality which opens our lives to His presence.
Furthermore, there is the urgent need to give warm welcome to others. We must strive to see Christ in them. If all Christians did just that, wouldn't it put an end to much biogtry, hatred, and selfishness? And it would go a long way to easing the loneliness felt by so many. St Paul says that we are responsible for delivering God's message. Hospitality, in all its guises, when genuine, preaches eloquently.
ACTION: Everyone in need must become an icon of Christ for us. In your parish there might be someone who would welcome a meal, a shopping spree or a cuppa and a chat. Welcome them as if they were Christ.
Dom Thomas Regan OSB