Welcoming God with Heart and Listening with Love

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 20, 2025

Readings: Genesis 18:1–10; Psalm 15:2–5; Colossians 1:24–28; Luke 10:38–42

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/YCSyLjyIrX4

What is the true rhythm of an authentic Christian life? It is the one that welcomes, listens, makes one feel comfortable, happy, and offers possibilities. On the 16th Sunday in Ordinary time, the Church invites us to conduct a true rhythm of a Christian life. The Word of God gives us immense possibilities to imitate those holy men and women who embraced the true vision of God. We see in Abraham the beauty of hospitality and the blessings that flow from welcoming God and others with a generous heart. In St. Paul, we are reminded that suffering, when united with Christ, becomes part of our mission to reveal His presence to the world. And in Mary, we discover the power of stillness and the importance of choosing intimacy with Jesus above all else. As we gather this Sunday in our churches, let us open our hearts to receive God's Word, embrace the call to serve and suffer with purpose, and find rest at the feet of Christ — for there we encounter not only the Lord but the fullness of life He brings. These three readings invite us into a rhythm of Christian life.

1. Hospitality as a Door to Divine Encounter

In the passage Genesis 18:1–10a, Abraham welcomes three unknown visitors at the oak of Mamre. Though he doesn’t immediately recognize them as divine, he hastens to offer generous hospitality. His openness to strangers becomes the very channel through which God confirms His promise of new life — the birth of Isaac. In theology, this episode is also likened to the concept of the Holy Trinity. Three people taking the hospitality of Abraham are richly rewarded with a new lease of life for Abraham.

How often does God come to us in the disguise of another — a guest, a stranger, a beggar, or even a family member in need of time and love? True Christian hospitality is not about simply offering food or space, but about making room in our hearts for others. Abraham teaches us that welcoming others with warmth and joy invites divine blessings into our lives.

 2. Sharing in Christ’s Suffering and Glory

St. Paul speaks in Colossians 1:24–28 about joy in the suffering for the sake of the Church. He carries in his heart a deep responsibility: to make known the mystery of Christ, not as a distant God but as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Suffering, when united with Christ’s mission, becomes a profound expression of love. Paul’s words remind us that Christian discipleship is not always easy. It involves sacrifice, patience, and perseverance. But our pain, when offered in communion with Christ, becomes redemptive. Through our trials, the presence of Christ grows in us — transforming wounds into witness. We are all called to be stewards of this divine mystery: to carry Christ within and to reveal Him to others. 

3. Choosing the Better Part

 In Luke 10:38–42, we see in the home of Martha and Mary, Jesus reveals a profound spiritual truth. Martha, busy with many tasks, is “worried and distracted,” while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening. Jesus gently reminds Martha that Mary has chosen “the better part,” which will not be taken from her.

This Gospel does not dismiss service, but it highlights the priority of presence — being with the Lord. In our noisy and distracted world, we may find ourselves constantly doing for Jesus while forgetting to be with Him. Mary teaches us the value of contemplative love — of listening deeply and allowing His Word to shape our hearts. There is a time to serve and a time to sit. We must learn to balance both — to be Martha in our hands and Mary in our hearts. Let us open our hearts this Sunday — to receive, to suffer with purpose, and to sit at the feet of Christ. For in doing so, we will welcome not just the Lord, but the fullness of life He offers.

Questions for self-reflection

1. Are we willing to be interrupted for the sake of love? Do we recognize the sacred in the ordinary moments of service and presence?
2. Are we willing to embrace both the cost and the joy of discipleship?
3. Will you let go of anxiety and distraction, and choose the stillness that brings peace?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You came into the home of Martha and Mary, you appeared to Abraham with a promise, and through Paul, you revealed the mystery of your presence in us. Teach us to welcome you into our lives with open hearts, to listen to your Word in silence and peace, and to serve others with love, not with anxiety or distraction. Help us to see your presence in the people we meet, in the work we do, and even in the trials we face. May we learn each day to choose what truly matters — to sit at your feet, to carry you within us, and to bring your love to the world around us. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

18 July 2025

Being a Good Samaritan: Go and do likewise

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 13, 2025

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:10–14; Psalm 69:14–37; Colossians 1:15–20; Luke 10:25–37

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/LlKrPCAUoDA

Being self-righteous is good. However, being self-righteous may not necessarily mean being honest and truthful. Awfully self-righteousness might dupe us. It may not bring good to oneself and others as well. It could be just wishful thinking. Hence, practical wisdom combined with the experience of the realities of the world with a human touch is essential. This will make a person great. As we delve deeper into the liturgical readings on the 15th Sunday in ordinary time, they do exactly the same. The story of the Samaritan nursing the wounded Jew tells us that all the other characters, the priest and Levite, were self-righteous but not honest in expressing their human concern. They lacked the practical wisdom to nurse the fallen fellow Jew, while the Samaritan, who belonged to the opposite group, expressed concern and solidarity with the Jew who needed immediate care. We cannot save the world in one day. However, we can act with compassion in the situations we encounter even though they are rare!

1. Being a Wounded man on the street and the care from the Unknown.

In the Gospel reading of today, Luke 10:25–37, a scholar of the law approaches Jesus with a question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It is a noble question, one that should stir the heart of every Christian. But Jesus, as He often does, turns the question back to the seeker: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”  The scholar responds correctly: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart... and your neighbour as yourself." Jesus affirms the answer, not as a theory, but as a way of life: “Do this and you will live.”

Sent with a Purpose, Rejoicing in the Truth

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 06, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/SGPQEWgG3wA

What is it like listening to a master and then the master asks the disciples to follow in his footsteps, including doing those unimaginable things like healing the sick and driving out the demons? Listening to the master means following what the master does. This is called true discipleship. For this, the disciples need a deep faith and a strong conviction. In fact, the disciple has to learn more from the master and unlearn what is not necessary, in order to possess the content and connection of the master. This is the experience of the disciples of Jesus when they were sent on a mission of preaching and healing. The liturgical readings of this Sunday are not only rich in content but also beautiful and tell us how God is nursing and caring for us through the Prophet Isaiah. And St Paul finds his abundance and fullness only in Christ Jesus of Nazareth. His radical love for Jesus is truly transformative and motivating for all of us who profess Christ as our Lord and Master.

1. Being moved to transform the world

In Luke 10:1-12, 17-20, Jesus sends out seventy-two of his disciples ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place he himself intended to go. It’s not just a logistical move—it's a deeply spiritual commissioning. These disciples are not simply messengers; they are the torchbearers of Christ’s peace, his patience, his perseverance, his presence, and his power. They go out with nothing but trust and obedience, called to rely not on earthly resources or managerial plans, but on the hospitality of strangers and the movement of God. They have to listen to God alone. 

Preciousness of People and their Love in our Lives

People come into our lives and leave indelible marks. They are the precious people who have come into our short lives and made them beautiful. They continue to glow in our lives in spite of their passing. They continue to immortalize their love, compassion, care, and concern in our lives. In fact, they live in our lives through these aspects, which continue to keep their fresh memories in our lives.

This has been the experience of two of my friends who passed away: One recently in Russia due to a massive brain hemorrhage, and the other in Ukraine in a car accident in the war-stricken country a year ago. Both played a vital role in my Jesuit life. Both were family people. They had great compassion and love towards me, and they showed it in various ways. 

Death is a cruel nail in our lives. Death puts an end to our precious lives. However, death does not win. The life of the person wins as it continues to live by the acts and the intentions the person has lived by. When death comes into life so suddenly, there is not even much time to say goodbye to the person or at least to have some conversations before the person moves into the other world. This gives sadness and remorse. Sadness because the death came in so early in one’s life, whereas remorse because a feeling of emptiness continues to haunt, “wish if I knew I would have talked to the person, had responded to the person,” etc. The list goes on.

What is eternal is the friendship that we experience and cherish, either in person, living in close proximity or far away through communication channels. Both of my friends who are no more have been very special to me. We came from different countries, languages and cultures, but our bond as Christians brought us all the more closer. We have shared our joys and sorrows, our agony and beautiful moments of peace together. Listened to the painful episodes of life, but also laughed at the lighter moments and shared the meals, walks and eucharist together. All has its purpose. 

May they rest in peace!

Olvin Veigas, SJ

July 01, 2025