Hospitality

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Hospitality

Peaceful     Welcoming

Contributing     Enduring     Persevering

Regard For One Another

Exercise

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Romans 12: 12 to 18

Cry out with joy in hope.

Endure all affliction.

Persevere in prayer.

Help out with the needs of the spiritual ones.

Exercise Hospitality.

If anyone opposes you, bless them---do not speak badly about them.

If someone is rejoicing, share in that joy with them.

If someone is weeping, share in their tears.

Have a good regard for one another: do not be proud but accompany those that no one notices.

Do not think that you are so wise in your own opinion of who you are.

If someone treats you in an evil way, do not treat that person with evil.

Be concerned with what is noble and just for everyone.

Try in every way possible to live at peace with all.

Reflection

The gift of hospitality is a wonderful way to welcome each person. St. Paul in this reading from The Letter to the Romans helps us to reflect on how this gift can transform our own lives and those of others.

Paul starts out with reminding us of the importance of hope. He shows us how this virtue can help us as we battle afflictions. He is clear eyed about the reality that there will be struggles and adversity in life.

As we have all had to fight through this pandemic, we are well aware that there will be "afflictions" as Paul puts it and that we need to have hope to fight through them.

The key, Paul tells us, is to "persevere" in prayer. When we are tempted to give up, when we think we do not have the strength to continue, when it seems that all is lost, those are the moments when we have to continue our fight against evil and injustice and adverse conditions.

We are challenged by Paul "to help out". We are called to see what the needs are of those around us and to do whatever we can, each in her or his or their small way, to reach out with compassion and kindness---"to have regard for one another".

We are called to a Ministry of Hospitality.

What does this involve?

Paul tells us: for those people who oppose you, simply bless them. There is no need to yell or scream at them. Simply let them know that God loves them and that you are extending the blessing that God gives to you each moment of your life to them and to their families.

When you are hospitable, there are times when you will be rejoicing with others and times when you will be weeping with them. Those times come from your "hospitable" listening: you put your own needs on the back burner and reach out to those who need your caring.

We are challenged by Paul to reach out particularly to those who go unnoticed. These are the ones who need our greeting and our time in a special way because they are overlooked by so many.

In this way, Paul reminds us, we are not overcome by the evil and adversity but we spread the Peace of Jesus to others. The call to Exercise Hospitality is an invitation for all to experience the Healing Love of Jesus through us.

It is the path to true justice.

Time to exercise!

1. When you hear the word "hospitality", what comes to mind?

2. Can you think of a time in your life when hospitality made a difference in your life?

3. What helps you to persevere in the face of adversity?

4. Why is it such a challenge for us to bless those who oppose us?

5. Are you one of those who is"unnoticed", one who reaches out to the "unnoticed", or a mixture of both?

6. How do you try to overcome evil?

(Scripture adapted and reflection by John J. McNamara)