Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Deeper Meaning of Welcome : Martha Welcomed Him into her House.

GOSPEL THOUGHTS

17th Week – Wednesday

Gospel – Luke 10: 38-42

Saint of the Day: St Martha

 *Martha Welcomed Him into her House: Deeper Meaning of Welcome*

*1) Martha's Welcome to Jesus*

The Gospel says that when Martha heard about Jesus' Arrival to their place, she hurriedly goes and welcomes Jesus into her house 

When some one is given grand welcome they feel at home and they become one with us 

When some one is welcomed, they feel a kind of affinity towards the place and the person which facilities the deeper relationship

To have a genuine relationship a warm welcome is necessary

A warm welcome makes a lot of difference in the guest and also changes the entire situation

Wherever there is welcome, there we find joy, cheerfulness, happiness and warmth 

*2) Deeper meaning of Welcome*

 At the peripheral level welcome appears a ordinary gesture of our culture. But it has a deeper meaning 

  • When some one is welcomed means, 
  • We are ready to receive this person 
  • We are ready to listen to the person 
  • We are ready to spend time with the person 
  • We are ready to help the person 
  • We are ready to understand the person 
  • We are share the joy and sorrow of the person 
  • We are ready to receive the person into our life 
  • We are ready to build friend with the person 
  • We are ready to take care of the person 

This is the real and deeper meaning of the *Welcome*

*3) Speciality of Martha's Welcome to Jesus*

When Martha welcomed Jesus, she not only Welcome the physical person of Jesus into her house, but, along with physical perdon if Jesus she also  welcome the following 

  • The spiritual person of Jesus 
  • The teachings of Jesus 
  • The values of Jesus 
  • The advice of Jesus 
  • The mercy of Jesus 
  • The forgiveness of Jesus 
  • Kingdom of God
  • The new way of life
  • The followers of Jesus 
  • The Love of Jesus 
  • The warmth of Jesus
  • The friendship, humility, care, concern, miraculous power, divinity, humanity and other values of Jesus 
  • She also accepted Jesus as the Son of God through her Welcome 

*4)Martha Welcomed Jesus into Her House : Deeper meaning of the House*

House is a physical structure built for living. Martha's welcome to the house not only means into the physical building. Beyond this physical building we can also see her welcome. By welcoming Jesus into her house she also welcomes Jesus into 

  • Her heart 
  • Her life 
  • Her mind
  • Into her emotions
  • Into her vision 
  • Into her difficulties and challenges
  • Into her failures 
  • Into her dark side of life 
  • Into her crisis 
  • Into her happy and sad moments
  • Into her every aspect of life 

This is how we can understand the deeper meaning of the welcome into her House 

*5) What sort of Welcome I give to my Lord*

Is it the welcome only of the lips or 

Is it the welcome of the heart and of the entire being

When I give the welcome of the heart and of entire being 

  • I welcome Jesus into my life whole heatedly
  • I welcome His teaching 
  • I welcome His values 
  • I Welcome His humility
  • I welcome His challenges
  • I Welcome His Cross 
  • I welcome His to call for conversion
  • I open myself to His mercy, forgiveness, love, care, concern, goodness and his call to follow Him very closely

*6) Will I be able to give a grand welcome to my Lord, like that of Martha*

It is a great challenge which we have to face everyday to make it more meaningful to our life 

Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Matthew 10:40

God bless you and your family. Praying for you and your dear ones.

Fr Maxim D’Souza

Jeppu Seminary

Mangalore


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