As a Benedictine, one of my favorite stories in Scripture is Jesus’ visit to Martha and Mary’s house. This brief account in Luke’s Gospel allows us to consider how each sister offers a distinct kind of hospitality to the Lord—and the Benedictine in me identifies with both. He Qi’s depiction of the scene on our front cover invites us to ponder this spectrum of hospitality (heqiart.com).
In He Qi’s image, Mary kneels at Jesus’ feet, her hands crossed over her chest, head tilted back, and eyes closed as she listens to all he has to say. She is thoroughly enthralled by the Lord, wholly content to be in his presence, and present to him with every fiber of her being. The artist indicates the bliss Mary must feel, including the image of a lotus flower, a symbol of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, hung over the hearth just above Mary’s head. This giving of one’s full attention to the guest is an essential aspect of hospitality— and Christ notes that it may be considered “the better part.”
St. Benedict tells us that all guests are to be received as Christ himself, and he states that every mark of kindness should be shown to guests, such as offering food, water, and a place to rest. Martha attends to these necessities, but becoming overburdened, she complains that Mary is not doing her part. He Qi shows her looking exhausted or exasperated, or both! This is where neither Jesus nor St. Benedict see eye to eye with her, as grumbling—or murmuring, in Benedict’s terms—is not in line with the behavior of a good host.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will always be our source of grace, flexibility, fortitude, and patience in caring for Christ in our guests.
