Holy Hospitality

This Sunday’s scripture readings are about hospitality. In the Gospel we hear that to be a follower of Jesus we have to take up crosses and extend hospitality. And it’s all tied into our ultimate goal—Heaven. Yes, we have work to do in order to get to Heaven, but as we do the work of carrying crosses – and maybe even the crosses of others, and we do the work of welcoming one another, especially the stranger, we do our part to build a better world. – a world that’s more compassionate, more aware and present to those who are suffering, more caring for those who do not have a seat at any table.

In other places in the Gospel Jesus ties hospitality into his description of who will inherit Heaven: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me . . .Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:34–36, 40).

These passages make it clear that in order to be welcomed into Heaven, we must welcome and serve others. Love, according to Jesus, is putting others first: “Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:44). If we want to be authentic followers of Christ, we must be willing to put all we have at the service of others. In other words, we must practice hospitality not just because it’s a nice thing to do—it has to cost us something. As Pope Saint John Paul II said, “Welcoming Christ in our needy brothers and sisters is the condition of being able to meet him face to face and perfectly at the end of our earthly journey” (Homily for the Jubilee of Migrants and Itinerant Workers, June 2, 2000).

So let’s all do the work of hospitality and welcome especially those who are rarely invited to the party. If we do this well, we will celebrate together at the Heavenly banquet.

Tip for the week: Invite someone who’s been away from Mass to join you at Mass next week. Then take it one step further and buy them breakfast, brunch, lunch or coffee.

Happy hosting!