Most of us are familiar with what we call the Four Pillars of Stewardship: Prayer, Hospitality, Formation, and Service. These four ways of looking at what it means to be a disciple and a steward invite each of us to witness, experience, and live the stewardship way of life. Stewardship is how we respond to our Baptismal call to discipleship.

In the First Reading Abraham is resting and relaxing near the entrance of his tent in the shade of a tree, when suddenly three strangers appear. We might say there are two kinds of hospitality at work here. The first is the obvious in that Abraham rushes to welcome these visitors and to do everything he can to make them feel welcome and contented. The second is more subtle, but perhaps even more critical. Abraham is welcoming God into his life and the life of his household. Hospitality certainly involves how we treat and how we deal with strangers and visitors in our lives, but it also has to do with whether we are open and welcoming to the presence of God in our lives.

The Gospel Reading is all about hospitality. It is clear that there are those two kinds of hospitality as cited earlier in this reflection. There is the hospitality of Martha, the one who makes sure the Lord and His followers are welcomed, comforted, and provided with all the elements of good service. The point of this Gospel in no way diminishes Martha’s efforts to be the perfect hostess. But Jesus wants Martha (and us) to know that the other side of hospitality, welcoming Jesus into our life, is just as important, if not more so.

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.” Like Martha we may focus on others and provide the hospitality of welcoming to which we are called as Disciples of Christ, a hospitality we need to offer as part of our parish lives. On the other hand, we also need to imitate Mary; when we need to “sit at Jesus’ feet.” Serving others is good, but we need to recognize the importance of having a continued focus on Jesus as well and just be in his presence.

May we develop a sense of hospitality that includes the Martha and Mary approach.