16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME : THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD'S SPIRIT.....AND THE HOSPITALITY OF ABRAHAM,,,,,,MARTHA,.....MARY,..........

On this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time the Scriptures speak to us about human hospitality and the fellowship of God. Abraham in the Book of Genesis, is awaiting three visitors. He does not only greet and meet with them, but offer them hospitality in the form of refreshments. In Luke's Gospel Jesus is visiting with Martha and Mary, two sisters, who along with their brother Lazarus, became very close personal friends and followers of Christ. Abraham's generosity to his visitors denotes the practice of human hospitality that is a civilized and common practice for most of us when family members, friends, neighbors, fellow believers, co-workers, or classmates come to visit us. The hospitality Martha provided for Jesus when he visited her and Mary, in their home in the village of Bethany, also affirmed the respect and affection for Him that she held. Mary's spending quality time listening and or conversing with Jesus when He visited them underscores the spiritual dimension of hospitality, which is Fellowship. Fellowship is our practice of hospitality as Christian Disciples, coming together to socially interact in the spirit of God. As the new Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish Yreka, in March 1993, I preached a homily explaining my goals for the parish, using the words, "Faith, Fellowship, Collegiality, Collaboration", as the focal points. At the end of that Sunday Mass, as I stood at the front doors of the church to greet the parishioners, a woman came up to me who said, "Good morning, Father. Welcome to St. Joseph's. Nice Mass, good Homily. But Fellowship is a 'Protestant' word". I told her, "They use it more than Catholics do, but I can show you that Fellowship is actually a Catholic-Christian word". One of the primary introductory greetings we use at the beginning of Mass, "The grace and peace of God our Father, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all", is an exhortation from St. Paul in the New Testament, as a greeting to one of the communities he was writing to, in follow to his missionary journey to them. Thus, "fellowship" is a fully Christian word, and where was the Catholic Church when Paul wrote those words, but on the foundational front lines of the early Church. Just as Jesus shared in the hospitality and friendship of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, their brother, so too must we as People of God dedicate ourselves to fellowship in God's Spirit and the hospitality we show others. Here at OLOL, we did that today after the morning Masses, as everyone was invited into the Parish Hall for coffee, tea, punch, and donuts and the chance to mingle socially with one another. As a disciple what kinds of fellowship are you sharing with others this summer ?..........In Human Hospitality And In Fellowship With The Divine, Fr. Troy