Daily Catholic Lectio. Tue, 29 July ’25. Three Types of Hospitality

Daily Catholic Lectio

Tue, 29 July ‘25

Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Memorial

1 John 4:7-16. John 11:19-27

Three Types of hospitality!

Today we commemorate Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany. All three of today’s saints were included in the 1749 (revised in 1916) Roman Martyrology, the Church’s official list of saints. But only Saint Martha appeared on the General Roman Calendar as a memorial until 2021, when Pope Francis added Saint Mary and Saint Lazarus to today’s (29 July) memorial. Earlier, Mary Magdalene was considered the sister of Martha. And their memorials were kept at a week’s interval: Mary Magdalene on 22 July, and Martha on 29 July. However, today’s scholarship says Mary of Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are not one and the same.

This is how the evangelist John presents today’s saints in his gospel: “Now Jesus loved Martha, Mary her sister, and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5).

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee (in the north) and begins his journey towards Jerusalem, Judea (in the south) (cf. Lk 9). On the way, he has a stopover at Bethany, which is near Jerusalem. In this context, Luke introduces Martha and Mary. The literary context of the narrative is the definition of the greatest commandment. Jesus defines ‘love of God’ and ‘love of neighbour’ as the greatest commandments. He presents ‘the Good Samaritan’ as a model for ‘love of neighbour.’ Luke presents the Martha-Mary event as an example of ‘love of God’ – which is the unum necessarium (the one thing necessary).

In the gospel of John, ‘Lazarus’ is introduced as the brother of Martha and Mary. Jesus resuscitates him from death. Later, he dines with Jesus. He is blessed to live his life for the second time – a rare chance indeed!

Let us look at these saints from the point of view of hospitality. In the Biblical tradition and in our tradition (and in many traditions around the world), hospitality is an esteemed virtue or quality. Hospitality extends beyond our family members and friends. This virtue also reminds us that we are all guests in this world. This helps us realise our insignificance. Hospitality goes beyond give-and-take actions.

Today’s saints represent three types of hospitality:

(a) Martha: Hospitality of Service

Martha, who invites Jesus into her house, is busy or preoccupied with a lot of work. She is totally into service, and she feels lonely in her work. She takes care of the needs of Jesus. This is ‘physical’ hospitality, where we cater to the physical needs of someone, attending to his or her thirst and hunger.

(b) Mary: Hospitality of Listening

Luke records that Mary was sitting at the feet of the Lord and was listening to him. Mary’s hospitality is intellectual and spiritual. She chose the one thing that was necessary. Sitting at the feet of others is a prerequisite to listening to others. We need to shed our anxiety, prejudice, and judgements in order to be good listeners.

(c) Lazarus: Hospitality of Friendship

Jesus says to his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. I go to wake him up” (cf. Jn 11:1). Further, when Jesus was weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, the Jews talked among themselves, “See how he loved him!” (cf. Jn 11:35-36). We see Lazarus’ love and friendship as hospitality.

Today, let us re-own the virtue of hospitality. Before we open the doors of our house, we must open the doors of our hearts. Through hospitality we can please the angels as well (cf. Heb 13:2).

“Anyone who loves is with God. God is with him,” thus writes John (first reading). Hospitality is an outcome of love. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are the models of hospitality.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy