16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 10:38-42) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
FIRST READING - 18:1-10a
A reading from the Book of Genesis
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
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."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before the three men;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
SECOND READING from the Letter to the Colossians - 1:24-28
Brothers and sisters:
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,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God's stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 10:38-42
From the Gospel according to Luke
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"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."
16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 10:38-42)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
Today's Sunday Gospel speaks about an important aspect of the Christian life that is listening to and practicing the Word of God.
The Gospel tells the story of Jesus visiting the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was occupied with cooking and serving, while Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His teachings and putting them into practice. Between these two activities, being preoccupied with material concerns and listening to the Word of God, Jesus emphasizes that listening to God's Word should come first. When we do that, He will take care of everything else.
When Jesus Christ came to earth to preach the words of God the Father to all humanity, He spoke only what the Father had taught Him—revealing the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven and the nature of God the Father Himself. He invited everyone to listen to the Word of God in order to receive eternal life.
However, listening to the Word of God does not simply mean hearing it and then putting it aside. Rather, Jesus wants everyone to put His word into practice—that is, to believe in the God of Love. Once we believed, He desires us to express that faith in our daily lives by living out the commandment of love: to love and fear God above all things, and to love others as ourselves.
God wants everyone to follow the example of three saints: The Patriarch Abraham, Saint Paul, and Mary.
The patriarch Abraham listened, believed wholeheartedly, and obeyed God's command to go to a foreign land, following in His guidance. As a result, God's promise to him was fulfilled. His descendants became as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
Saint Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was a steadfast instrument of God. He continued to proclaim the Word of God to all humanity, calling them to repentance and to return to God.
Mary is the one who knows how to place listening to and put into practice the Word of God above all else.
Today, God invites everyone to look to these examples and follow them—to always listen to and put into practice the teachings of God the Father. This is what truly pleases Him, and He will reward us with eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven in the afterlife.
Thanks be to God. Amen
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