HOSPITALITY

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

First, I condole with all of you who have lost loved ones, and worse still we could not gather in the church to have requiem Masses for them due to the present situation. May you be comforted by the hope of everlasting life which we all share through our faith in the risen Lord. May I mention here, Patricia Atimango, the latest member of our community to departed from us. She was a regular active participator in the 1:00 pm daily Mass and the Thursday Evening Holy Hour. She was suddenly taken from us. May Patricia and all our other members of the community who have been called back to the Father, rest in eternal peace.  

Secondly, I rejoice with those of you who have been blessed in various ways. Some of your family ties have been strengthened because of spending more time together.  Some have been blessed with children, while others have recorded a number of material or spiritual blessings. May our loving God show us all, how to profitably use the blessings he has showered upon us.

Needless to say, a good number have come out with all sorts of challenges, from domestic violence to lack of basic human needs. As many tell us: “turn the challenges into opportunities!” Personally I would like to add; ‘make a deep reflection on these challenges and invoke the Holy Spirit to show you how to turn them into opportunities’.

While you are at it, remember that as Christians one of the ways we are called to live the Gospel, is through practicing hospitality. Welcome and assist  preachers, priests and indeed all your brothers and sisters (especially the needy) around you. In today’s world, where materialism and consumerism dominate our lives to the point of turning some of our homes into isolated fortresses with iron gates, intruder alarms, and surveillance cameras, it is becoming less and less possible to practice hospitability. We are getting more inclined to believe in competition, power, influence and success as the only things that matter. We are headed towards each one living their lives at the expense of others.  It is becoming more difficult for some to look beyond their gates and see if there are some people around them in real need.    

Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say that the Gospel is written on ones fingers. She would then hold up her fingers, one at a time, and word per word say: “You-Did-It-To-Me. She would then add: “At the end of your life, your five fingers will either excuse you or accuse you of doing it unto the least of these.”

It should not be too difficult for us to have our five fingers excuse us instead of accusing us, at the end of our lives. For most of our backgrounds here, value hospitality! When I was growing up, it was the order of the day  for neighbors to exchange baskets of their harvest! A thirsty traveler would simply stop at any home and ask for some water to drink, and water would be offered without any questions asked!![Today some will say who knows they may poison you etc….]. Even if we may say that times have changed, the spirit behind hospitality will always remain the same. Whether it is the time of Elisha the prophet or toady.

It is that very Spirit that prompts a few of you these days to send a message containing some assistance to the Parish. I just see a message on my phone: “You have received 20.000= for parish upkeep, or 5,000= for offertory”. I know very well that it is not because these few people of God do not have a series of needs in their homes, but because they have the Spirit of hospitality. They have come to understand that: “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward”.

Like the woman of Shunem (2 Kg 4:8ff), it is time to make a space for God in our lives.  She made physical space for the holy man of God. We are called to make space for Christ and his message in our lives. Question is:  “Where do I find this space?

Sun 28, Jun 2020 16:06 pm