From the Rule of Saint Benedict we are told, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.” These words are important for they express the importance of hospitality. As the Gospel of Saint Matthew states, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Pope Francis stated in his encyclical letter, Evangelii Gaudium: “If we are to share our lives with others and generously give of ourselves, we also have to realize that every person is worthy of our giving. Not for their physical appearance, their abilities, their language, their way of thinking, or for any satisfaction that we might receive, but rather because they are God’s handiwork, his creation. God created that person in his image, and he or she reflects something of God’s glory.”
We see this sense of hospitality played out in our first reading through this woman who provided for the needs of Elisha. So too our Gospel reminded us that in receiving Christ we receive God. Likewise, through the giving of a cup of cold water to a disciple we will not lose our reward.
Hospitality is something that cannot go forgotten within our life, our family, and our parish community. Week in and week out so many souls pass through the doors of this church. Some of them are here every week, others are travelers who are passing through, others are simply curious of what takes place within these walls, and others are hit or miss when it pertains to their attendance.
This must be a welcoming community of faith that welcomes all people in. In doing so we acknowledge that we turn towards the Lord and that our life ought to be an expression of His. Hospitality is not something that is a facade, but something that is true for it finds its place in Christ.
One way in which we come to behold Christ is in Holy Communion. As one body we set our attention here and everything that we do should prepare us for this encounter with Him. So too in hospitality we go out in order to lead others towards the Lord. The small things that we say and do can lead people away from the Lord. If we are Christians who lack the words and actions of a Christian how will we ever lead others unto the Lord?
The love of Christ is found to be abundant and without end. This overflowing expression of God’s love is precisely what we are called to enter into when we consider the importance of hospitality. Holy Communion binds us into relation with the Lord and sends us out in charity. Everything that we do should be animated by this life giving reality. Whenever we we encounter others we should welcome them in as Christ welcomes them.
In our reflection we should ask how we can better enact such charity in our life. How could you assist this parish community in being more welcoming of our guests? Again this is not a facade of welcoming, but a true integration of our relation to Christ in how we encounter in others. Hospitality is not a check off list of actions, but is a movement of charity that encompasses all those whom we encounter in this life. In all things let us grow in our practice of hospitality.
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