Many years ago I saw a short, animated film that at the time was somewhat popular to show during days of prayer, especially those for young adults. Released in 1977, Martin the Cobbler was a stop-action 'Claymation' production – (viewed via film projector!) – based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy called Where Love is, There God is Also. Tolstoy’s short story revolved around two New Testament teachings, one from the 1st Letter of John which states that God is Love, hence where love is, God is, and the other from Matthew 25 which contains a challenging passage in which Jesus teaches that “whatever you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you do for me.” (paraphrase) The delightful film is true to theTolstoy original, delivering a powerful message about the way we are to love, based on the teaching of Jesus. Though written in 1885, the short story (and subsequently, the film) contains an essential message for today since contrary to the teachings of Jesus, our culture vigorously encourages self-centeredness and materialism, attitudes which lead to anxiety, despair, and emptiness, especially since those who ‘adhere to’ these things generally do not have a relationship with God. But for those who believe, choosing to live the gospel message while developing their relationship with God, the opposite is true: there is peace, joy, and fullness of heart because they choose to enter into the mercy of Jesus and therefore know Love. 

Briefly, Martin the Cobbler is about an elderly man who is enveloped by a deepening despair due to the deaths of his wife and only child many years before. One day, a ‘holy man’ left a New Testament for Martin to restore the cover, and later while reading a page he thought, “If the Lord were to come, I would welcome Him.” He fell asleep and heard the Lord’s voice: “Look out in the street tomorrow, because I am coming.” The next day Martin had three different encounters with people in the street, offering each one great kindness, but at the end of the day as he picked up the book again, he wondered why the Lord had not come. Just then, a bright light appeared and a Voice said, “Do you not know me?” Then Martin saw each of the people he had interacted with, all of whom said, “It is I.” Martin’s heart had been transformed through each encounter; having welcomed Jesus whom he now recognized, Martin was filled with joy and new life. 

This little story illuminates the attitude Jesus taught His followers to adopt and the Gospel writers knew to convey. In the Gospels there are numerous stories in which people invited Jesus into their homes offering generous hospitality, and of these, many were ‘sinners and tax collectors’ like Zacchaeus who offered as much as he could. At other times, Jesus would have to teach the true measure of hospitality, such as when he went to the home of his friends Martha and Mary. Martha thought she was hospitable, but she was so busy getting her house together that she became filled with stress and resentment toward Mary rather than welcoming Jesus with her whole heart. There were also those such as the rich Pharisee who invited Jesus to dine, but never offered Him water to wash His feet, then turned to criticize a woman who anointed His feet with oil.* In all of these encounters, Jesus taught what true hospitality is, and also what hospitality is about. 

Hospitality is the offering of an environment of welcome in which the guest is put at ease and is given full attention by the host; the welcome of hospitality offers nourishment sometimes in body, but always in spirit. Hospitality is not concerned with impressing the guest, but rather, it is a gesture from the heart that is sincere regardless of how elaborate or simple it is. Hospitality is about encounter and presence: we enjoy what we share simply because we are present to one another. It is a disposition of heart that is visible regardless of whether one has invited another into their home or whether they have met ‘on the street.’ Those with hospitable hearts recognize Christ in the other person, and revering that reality, open their heart to let Him in. To see Jesus in another person, we cannot be centered on ourselves; and yet when we offer love to another, the wonder of it is that we also we find Jesus within our own heart. This is the entire message of the Good News of Jesus: if we want to find Jesus, live in His love.

One last note: The striking thing about the character of Martin is that in reality he was always open to the Lord; he had simply lost his ‘sight’ because he was blinded by grief. In each of his encounters Martin did that which was most loving and merciful. Thus, his heart had always been good; he just needed to rediscover the love he already possessed. This Tolstoy story, based on the gospel, offers the message of hope that it is never too late to allow Jesus’ mercy and love to transform or revitalize our hearts. It also teaches us to see Jesus in everyone we meet, especially those who are poor (materially or spiritually), the marginalized, and those who we may need to forgive. Finally, it reveals that love and mercy will thaw even the most broken, wounded, and ‘lost’ hearts, especially our own.

May we look out ‘in the street’ to see how and in whom Jesus comes to us each day! May we ask the Lord to give us the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to be hospitable! And may we accept the invitations the Lord provides, knowing that in our response to others we are responding to Him! Let us meet in the merciful, welcoming heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                       ©Michele L. Catanese

* While all the Gospels record instances in which Jesus taught about hospitality, it seems Luke recorded many parables and situations in which this was a main theme of the passage (and we can read just about all of the parables with an eye for welcome and hospitality.) The encounter Jesus has with the Pharisee and the sinful woman is found in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus with Martha and Mary appears in Luke 10:38-42, but it should not come as a surprise that the passage right before this is the parable of the Good Samaritan, which among other things, is about hospitality. The Samaritan has a merciful heart and makes sure the victim of crime is taken somewhere to receive the healing hospitality he needs. (Luke 10:29-37) Luke placed these two passages in that order purposefully. Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is found in Luke 19: 1-10. I must also mention that the parable offered by Jesus, referred to as the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-37), is about more than a lack of mercy and hospitality; I point it out because Jesus described the rich man as never really seeing Lazarus at all. Hospitality and mercy are about seeing so that we can act with love.
Note: I recommend reading the short story by Leo Tolstoy called Where Love Is, There God Is Also. But for those curious about the 1977 stop action film and who want to hear LeoTolstoy's daughter Anna narrate, Martin the Cobbler is found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XApXn_ojg  Just be aware that the film quality is grainy and the sound is unsteady, but it is still delightful.

Images:
1. My photo of stained glass; Sacred Heart of Jesus; in the cathedral, St. Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
2. Painting; The Kargopol Yard, Russian Winter, by Alexander Alexandrovsky. "This place is a Russian town Kargopol which near to Arkhangelsk. It is located on the Onega river shore."
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Kargopol-yard-Russian-winter-landscape/770803/4394822/view
3. Icon; St. Martha of Bethany by Fr. William Hart McNichols. This icon can be found at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-martha-of-bethany-william-hart-mcnichols.html
4. My photo; enjoying tea, (taken in Hobbiton, in New Zealand; for those who understand Hobbits, this was actually 'Second Breakfast.').
5. My photo; small town in the Alps of Switzerland. 
6. My photo; street in the older section of Stockholm, Sweden.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.

In recent Sunday liturgies we heard Scriptures that recounted how the early Church was ‘born’ and what life was like for the first Christians. The Acts of the Apostles delineated how the Apostles went out, first to Jerusalem and then beyond, preaching as Jesus had commissioned them to do. The power of the events of Pentecost was so intense and they were so filled with the Holy Spirit that their willing hearts could not but preach, do works of mercy, perform miraculous healings, and baptize new believers. Because God is love, every work of evangelization and every healing the Apostles performed was a labor of love, empowered by Love. Although they were the leaders, the other members of the community also evangelized and did many works of mercy to share the love of God that had been poured out upon them at their baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit. Each person, deeply loved by God, was empowered with gifts which enabled an apostolic spirit; that is, the ability to live their Christian faith boldly. 

When reading the Acts (and the Letters that follow) the zeal with which the Apostles did their work is obvious. Likewise, the newly baptized worked to build the community with the same commitment and earnestness. Luke emphasized this by describing how the believers prayed for boldness: “And when they heard it – [words from Peter and John] they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘…grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” The power of the Holy Spirit was more than just palpable: the room shook with it. Thus, they freely shared everything they had with one another and also extended their generosity to the poor. (AA 4:23, 29-37) They did everything with boldness, confident in the power of God and filled with Love.

We can describe how the early Christians lived and ministered by saying they did so with apostolic zeal. They were baptized with the same baptism the Apostles had received and were filled with the same Holy Spirit with which the Apostles were filled; but they knew their roles were not to be apostles, but to act according to their call as disciples. Those first Christians knew their ministry was to share what the Apostles taught them, utilizing the power received from the Spirit, missioned in evangelizing and doing works of love. Keep this in mind: we were baptized with the same baptism received by the Apostles and early Christians; we were anointed with the same Holy Spirit as were they, and the gifts we were given are the same gifts they received. Therefore, we ought to call upon them and utilize them with the same apostolic zeal. In short, we have the capability to do this: same baptism, same gifts, same call, same potential for apostolic zeal.

We often forget (or perhaps were never told!) that our task is no different than that of the first disciples. We might think something has changed after so many centuries have passed, as if the power of God has diminished, or is not as active, or is only for the holy few. Not at all! As baptized believers, we are meant to build the Kingdom. That is, having the same gifts with the same power we are called to carry on the work they began, the work which was commissioned by Jesus. How we do it is determined by own individual call and situation in life, and it is something we should continually discern through prayer. One way to reflect upon our Spirit-given capabilities would be to prayerfully read the passages in the Gospels in which Jesus sent out the 12 apostles, and then later the 70 disciples, to preach and work miracles.  We can prayerfully envision ourselves alongside them, imagining what it would be like to do the same works, trusting so fully in the Holy Spirit that they did not hesitate to pray with people for healing and sharing all they knew of Jesus. We can do similarly with the passages in the Acts.* Then we can ask ourselves what holds us back from acting with the same trust and apostolic zeal, or in what ways we can better live our call with similar boldness. 

Imagine what our parishes and communities would be like if every one of the baptized truly lived with the zeal of the Spirit we have been given. Since this isn’t always the case now, we need to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters, helping them understand that having an apostolic spirit is not something that is no longer possible. Rather, we can share our apostolic zeal in acts of love (and in words) to enliven the faith of those who are struggling, just as those early believers went out to their Jewish and Gentile brethren alike. This is how the Church began and it is how we are to continue building up the Kingdom. Every gift counts and has impact: St. Paul wrote that there are many gifts in the One Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12 & 13), so no matter how small we think they may be, our various talents and abilities are meant for the good of all. It is time to renew our apostolic spirit and do the marvelous works of discipleship, sharing the power of the love and mercy of God!

May we trust more deeply in the power of grace given by the Holy Spirit which is present within us! May we claim and act with the spirit of apostolic zeal! And may we boldly live the gospel taught by Jesus! Let us meet in the Spirit of God! Peace!

                       ©Michele L. Catanese

* These are the passages to pray with: Jesus sends out the 12 Apostles: Matthew 10, essentially the entire chapter is an important discourse and contains the commission Jesus gave them; also Mark 6:7-13, and Luke 9:1-2. Jesus sends out the 70 (72 in some translations) is only found in Luke 10:1-23 while none of the other writers recorded it. The description of the early Church is found in the Acts of the Apostles 2:43-47 and 4: 32-37. Also note what is often referred to as the second Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles when Peter was in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10). This outpouring is recorded in AA 10:44-48. It has happened more than once in the history of the Church... and can again. 

Images:
1. My photo; path in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas.
2. Painting; Pentecost, by Sandro Botticelli.
3. Image; Viriditas - Holy Spirit Detail, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at fineartamerica.com/featured/viriditas-holy-spirit-detail-william-hart-mcnichols.html
4. Painting; The Fire Ranger by Frank Johnston. It can be found at http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/canadian/Frank-H-Johnston.html
5. My photo; New Mexico. This little church, San Jan Baptiste, has boarded-up windows. This is a church in need of revival. Let's keep our churches filled with people, light, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit!
6. Painting, Chilean Pentecost. On the painting it says: "Envía tu Espirito Señor Y Renueva La Faz de la Tierra" ("Send your Spirit Lord and Renew the Face of the Earth").

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.