Be Situationally Aware!

 

Deacon Kevin Gingras

July 20th, 2025

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072025.cfm

Genesis 18:1-10a    Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

Colossians 1:24-28    Luke 10:38-42

Situational awareness - it seems to be something lacking that plagues society lately.  We are so distracted by all the social media, the phones, computers, and news, it’s no wonder we aren’t aware of where we physically are at a specific point in time.  Folks on the phone block grocery aisles and can’t hear you say excuse me as you try to get past.  Commuters on the highway aren’t aware of others around them as they change lanes or miss the light turning green.  

I am just as guilty.  A few weeks ago, I was in adoration, sitting there with the true presence of Jesus Christ right there in front of me, and then it started to storm outside.  The lightning was vivid even through the chapel’s stained glass windows.  The rain and wind pounded the windows. The rumbles of thunder were loud.  My focus became the storm.  I checked my phone to see where the current lightning was striking and where the storm was heading.  I was no longer situationally aware that I was still in the presence of Christ!  That’s a good segue into today’s readings, I think.

Abraham was situationally aware of his guests.  He did not know that it was angels of God who were visiting him, but he kind of gathered that they were a big deal. It’s also interesting that the text says

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oak

So this text begins in the singular and Abraham greets the LORD as such, but later on it switches to the second person plural, and the one suddenly becomes three.  This strange change in the number of visitors helps illustrate the mystery of God.  In the next chapter of Genesis, we find that two of the men are identified as angels.  Regardless of that, Abraham was situationally aware that these men were a big deal and looked to be travelers, so he treated them by getting water to wash from the journey, hurriedly preparing them a meal of bread, curds, milk, and meat from a tender choice calf.  Abraham was aware that these visitors were important and acted accordingly.

Next, we hear of Martha, who was not as situationally aware as Abraham today. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home when He came to her village.  She knows it’s Jesus, but she’s so focused on the fact that she’s doing all the work and Mary is just resting and listening to the “Master” that she stops working to attempt to bring Jesus into a bit of a family spat that is brewing.

Martha didn’t have a chance to read St. Paul, it wasn’t written yet, so she never heard:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake

And therefore, Martha wasn’t rejoicing when she suffered in aggravation at her lazy sister Mary! I can relate to Martha based on my time in adoration, in front of the Lord Jesus, yet focused on the storm around me.  Martha’s main issue was her lack of focus.  She was torn between her service and preparation for her very important guest and her lazy sister Mary, who wasn’t helping.  Mary was focused.  Martha was so situationally unaware that she even tells the Son of God what to do!

Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.

My wife is quick to remind me that later in scripture, we see Martha doing much better, serving without complaint, and she accepted her correction from Jesus and learned from what was said to her. 

Now let’s focus on the tabernacle we have here in the Church.  That tabernacle is situationally unaware of what it currently holds inside - how could it be, it has no mind, it’s simply wood, metal, and some cloth.  You cannot fault it for not knowing it holds within the precious body and soul of the true divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist!

What about us?  Most of us today will come up to receive Jesus Christ at communion time.  We cannot be situationally unaware after we do!  We become a living tabernacle!  Ask the Holy Spirit for help today so that we may be truly aware of who we now contain inside of us, the true body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ Himself. Take time to reverently return to your pews and kneel, offering prayers of thanksgiving for the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is present inside of us, making us all living tabernacles!

St. Teresa of Calcutta reminds us:

"Every Holy Communion makes you a more perfect tabernacle of God".