Actions that arise from prayer: Homily for Sunday, July 20, 2025

Today’s readings emphasize two encounters. Abraham is visited by three men. Jesus is at the home of Martha and Mary. Both encounters start with human actions, but they end with divine encounters. We are reminded that it is always the case that our actions arise from our prayer. Readings for Today.

Actions that arise from prayer

There is an old saying about guests. “It is nice to see them come, and it is nice to see them go.” And we say this, I think, because having to host guests, while enjoyable, also involves some work. We clean our house, prepare food and drink, and make things comfortable.

Today the readings present us with two examples of hospitality. The first is the story of Abraham. As if often the case in the bible, it is important to place a story in context. Chapters 18 and 19 are really one long story about Abraham and Sarah.

As you may recall, Abraham and Sarah were childless. And this was a great source of shame. We know that it can be difficult for couples who cannot conceive. But in the case of Abraham and Sarah things get turned upside down. At a time when Sarah is long past childbearing age, she is told she will conceive.

The story we read today is really the rest of the story begun in Chapter 13 of Genesis. You may recall that Abraham and Lot, who are relatives, needed to solve a problem brought about by success. They go their separate ways to keep those who work for them from fighting.

Lot winds up in Sodom, where there was great wickedness. While the name Sodom has been associated with sexual sins, there are parts of the bible that make clear there was much more going on. The people did not care for the poor, for example.

And when Abraham learns that God intends to destroy Sodom, he is, naturally concerned about the fate of Lot. Abraham questions God about the sense of justice, and learns Lot and his family are saved.

In this story, Abraham and Sarah display hospitality to three men. Yet they do not realize that this is a divine encounter, one that will provide great blessing to Abraham and Sarah. And so really the hospitality is to the Lord God himself. 

The gospel is the familiar story of Mary and Martha. We learn elsewhere that Jesus was close friends with Martha and Mary, and with their brother Lazarus. So it is not surprising that Jesus would be visiting them at their house.

We learn that Martha and Mary are different personalities. Martha is what we might call today, a “Type A” personality. She is working on all the details of hospitality. Martha is the one who runs out to greet Jesus after her brother Lazarus dies.

Mary, we learn, is more of a contemplative. She appears to be one that does a lot of reflecting. She stays at home when Jesus comes to meet her after her brother’s death.

It is important to note that both Martha and Mary are women of faith. Let’s not forget that Martha is the one who professes her belief in the Messiah. But on this particular day, Martha’s priorities are out of whack. If Mary were to leave Jesus to help Martha, the guest, the purpose of the encounter, Jesus, would have been left all by himself. 

Both encounters in the readings start with a concern and demonstration of hospitality, but end with an emphasis on the divine encounter.

Abraham recognizes the three men for who they are. Martha learns that in this encounter, it is Mary who has chosen the better part. 

In these readings is an important insight about the life of faith, and, I might add, in the gospel provides a good explanation of Dominican life. We are active contemplatives.

But there is something in today’s gospel especially that is important for us to understand. It helps us to understand the connection between our belief in God, and the actions that arise from this belief.

In our own spiritual lives, at least I know in mine, there is a tension between prayer and action. We live in a society that values action. We are to be productive. We are to have accomplishments. And we tend to equate our dignity with what we do.

But when it comes to God,  our dignity arises not because of what we do, but who we are. We do what we do because of who we are. 

Both encounters take on meaning because of the divine encounter. Abraham recognizes the three men as God. Mary chooses the better part as she develops a relationship with Jesus.The temptation in the spiritual life can be to focus so much on our actions, we do not provide the adequate time for prayer, to develop that intimacy with Jesus that truly gives us life.

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