21 July 2013 - open your presence.

21 July 2013 - open your presence.

In today's readings we see both action and contemplation have their place.

Abraham unknowingly entertains angels by his hospitality (cf Heb. 13:2):

Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way.”  

These angels bring God's blessing and presence to Abraham.  Through them he receives the fulfillment of the promise of children.  It is his hospitality which allows God's blessing and presence to manifest.

But at other times, serving can be a distraction from the presence of God in our midst.

“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? 

Jesus is teaching and speaking.  Now is not the time for serving.  All of our service is ordered toward this intimacy.

She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 

When he is speaking to us let us sit at the feet of Jesus and listen.  When he is not speaking let us seek his presence in action and by service.  We can find him in the poor, the lonely, and the downtrodden.  We can invite him closer to us by serving him.

He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

And, once in his presence, we should sit at his feet and listen.  This intimacy with him is the goal.  Hence he tells Martha:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 
There is need of only one thing. 
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Jesus dwells in his people.  We can find him in service of others.  We can even find him in ourselves in our own suffering.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his body, which is the church,

His presence in our souls is our hope.  Let us open ourselves to the many ways of drawing nearer to him.  Let us open ourselves in particular to his presence in the Eucharist.  He is our hope of glory.

it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. 
It is he whom we proclaim,