July 20th 2025 16th Sunday of the Year

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

There are two types of hospitality: the

hospitality of giving and the hospitality

of presence. Both are important. Both are

necessary. Martha in today’s Gospel is busy

preparing a meal to welcome Jesus to her

home. She is doing a beautiful deed. She

represents the hospitality of giving. Mary,

her sister, sits quietly and attentively at the

feet of the Lord, listening to His words. She

represents the hospitality of presence. Jesus

commended Mary and assured her that she

had ‘chosen the better part’. In so doing,

He was not condemning Martha, but rather

lauding the value of listening and silence in

our everyday lives. Everything that’s created

comes out of silence. God speaks most

powerfully in the silence, but our world no

longer hears Him because it is constantly

speaking. He gets lost in the noise. The

challenge then for all of us is to create ’Mary

moments’ in a ‘Martha world’. Creating

moments of ‘non-doing’ each day is essential

nourishment for the soul. Mary chose the

better part.