The person who neither harms nor takes up a reproach against his/her neighbor will live in the presence of the Lord.  “ The Guest of Yahweh” is title of Psalm 15 which constitutes today’s Responsorial Psalm (NJB). The Psalm presents the moral qualities which an individual must possess in order to worthily sojourn in the holy tent of the Lord. For our benefit on this Sunday, the verses which have been highlighted in the Responsorial Psalm emphasize the social virtues of justice and charity. The composer of the Psalm did well to include the social virtues because sometimes we tend to forget that our relationship to God is three-wheeled. The virtues of justice and charity seek to remind us that our relationship with God is incomplete if our brothers and sisters are not part of it. It is how we relate to our brothers and sisters that demonstrates whether we are in a relationship with God or not. The First and Gospel Readings for this Sunday focus on the virtue of charity, specifically that of showing hospitality to others.
In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author encourages his audience to be on top when it comes to showing hospitality especially to strangers, saying that in doing so, some have ended up welcoming angels (blessings) in their homes (cf. Hebrews 13:2). It is a call that reminds us of the account of Abraham welcoming the angels of the Lord into his home. The angels of the Lord had disguised themselves as three men who suddenly found themselves in Abraham’s presence. Rather than get startled at the sight of three strangers, Abraham invited them to come inside his tent and be refreshed. Unbeknownst to him, his act of kindness allowed him to receive the good news that the Lord had brought to him. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to him. 
In the Gospel Reading, the account of the visitation by Jesus of the two sisters, Martha and Mary, also presents us with another demonstration of hospitality. The only difference is that on this occasion, it did not involve strangers. In addition to being disciples of Jesus, the two sisters, Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus appear to have been Jesus’ friends as well. It has been suggested that this particular occasion might not have been the first time that Jesus and his company were welcomed in this home. Strategically placed along the route that Jesus usually used on his journeys to and from Jerusalem, the three siblings offered their house to be used by Jesus as a rest stop. Such a kind and hospitable consideration by Martha and her siblings made them close to Jesus and definitely played a role in the performance of one of the greatest signs by Jesus: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. 
If it is true that the three siblings had offered the use of their home to Jesus whenever he was in need, it is highly unlikely that their offer had some strings attached to it. It is highly unlikely that they wanted some favors from Jesus in return. The evangelist John says that Lazarus was raised by Jesus in order to show the glory of the Lord. Hospitality is a  godly virtue that is recognized as such in the Judeo-Christian tradition. There can be no doubt that Martha and her siblings were deeply religious people who sought to faithfully live the teachings of the prophets. Moreover, as disciples of Jesus, they must have heard Jesus put great emphasis on the practical application of the commandments, especially the command to love. If laying down one’s life for one’s friends is the greatest demonstration of one’s love for others, then showing hospitality to strangers is number two. Even Jesus himself reminds us that showing hospitality to strangers will be one of the criteria for judgment (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” cf. Matthew 25:35). 
Whereas showing hospitality (or how not to show hospitality) is the main teaching of the account of the visitation by Jesus of Martha and Mary, sometimes we get to focus only on what took place during the visitation, namely, Jesus’ rebuke of Martha. Often, we see in the account a contrast between Jesus’ rebuke of Mary and his commendation of Mary (Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her). We even go as far as saying that Jesus elevated the “contemplative” life of Mary while denigrating the “active” life of Martha. When we do so, we miss the whole point that Jesus wanted to put across. I believe that Jesus never rebuked Martha for showing her guests hospitality but rather for complaining to him that Mary was not lending her a hand.  
Showing hospitality to guests/strangers should not be seen as a burden (as Martha apparently made hers to be). It should not generate complains from the one who serves. Showing hospitality is a service of love, something that should elicit a feeling of satisfaction from the one offering it. Of course Martha was right to ask Mary to help her, but the manner of her asking revealed that she was envious of Mary sitting down: “Do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do all the serving?” Martha chose to focus on what Mary was doing (or not doing) instead of focusing on what she was doing. Her focusing on Mary made her to see what she was doing as a burden, as something weighing down upon her. This made her to disengage her serving from the only thing necessary: love. Without love, service turns into a burden. Without love, service turns into something to be avoided rather than something to be embraced whole heartedly. Without love, we turn service into complaints.