Do I serve the Lord with gladness?

Today’s readings provide two very different approaches to serving God. In the first reading, Abraham eagerly runs out to meet the travelers (the Lord in disguise). He humbly pleads with them to stay and rest awhile. Abraham tells the men he will bring them a snack; yet he and Sarah deliver a feast. They serve the men and tend to their needs with gladness. The Lord rewards their service with a son.

Martha, in the gospel reading, handles things differently. While she initially welcomes Jesus, Martha soon gets caught up in the chores of providing hospitality to her guests. You can imagine her getting more and more upset, perhaps even banging a plate or two, as her frustration level increases. When she has finally had enough, she speaks up—to her guest! Martha has just added rudeness to her feelings of anger and irritation. Overwhelmed by the activities of serving her guest, she has forgotten who her guest is. In doing so, she ignored the basic rules of hospitality. And because of that, Martha is reprimanded by Jesus.

So how do we serve the Lord as represented by each person we encounter every day? Do we interact with kindness or grumble at the chore? Do we offer a feast or the bitter food of our complaints? Knowing that the

Kingdom of Heaven awaits His faithful servants, we should be serving the Lord with gladness.