Under the Oaks …..

This Sunday’s first reading reminds us so much about the summer, about holidays. Here under the oaks, in the hottest time of the day, Abraham is sitting. The visitors come. Abraham, not knowing who they are, decides to entertain them. He offers them food, drink and rest. A similar situation happens in the Gospel. Jesus comes to the house of Martha and Mary. They also offer Him hospitality, rest and food. In both cases, we see the moment of rest and the time of engagement. Both of these images describes a wonderful time of holidays. It should not only be doing nothing at all, but it should also serve to show some kind of engagement. Yes, holidays are a time of rest, but also activity especially for the benefit of others. Then, when we have time off work, we can devote it to the other persons, to our brothers and sisters, to their problems and their joys. We can welcome other people and give them what we have best: our time, our attention, our hands our best words and our thoughts. And we can expect that God will reward us for it, because He identified Himself with the poor, abandoned, homeless, those in trouble. For our holiday dedication, we can receive the reward that Abraham and his wife Sara, or Martha and Mary, received. All you need to do is combine these two attitudes – activity and contemplation, it is listening and acting skills, because people around us need it. So see you at the hottest time of the day under the oaks…

Fr Marcin