My Mother was an amazing woman. Now don’t get me wrong. She had her faults. She could gossip with the best of them. She was pretty stubborn. When she wanted something, she was absolutely going to find a way to get it. I am pretty sure I inherited this trait from her, otherwise I would not have gotten my parents to buy me my first mini-bike.
But my Mother was the most giving, generous woman I know. Her biggest joy in life was when she had guests in our home. It gave her an excuse to start cooking. She loved making large quantities of food for people. She would take the amount of food most people would cook…then double it. And it was folly for the guests to say that they were not hungry. In a loving way…really…she would say “shut up and eat!” It gave her purpose and made even strangers feel like one of the family. Didn’t matter who they were.
And this brings us to the first reading today from Genesis. Abraham and Sarah welcome three strangers into their camp. They are not aware that one of them is God, as is clearly stated in verse one “The Lord appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre”. All he sees are three men who have been walking in the heat, needing rest, shade, food and drink. And he falls all over himself caring for their needs. He learns later that this is God since He knows Sarah as Sarah and not Sarai. Her name was only recently changed. Only God would know of this change and Sarah’s lack of a child.
We know the story from elsewhere in Matthew about the sheep and the goats. How the sheep cared for the Lord’s needs for shelter, food, and drink by caring for the lowly and, in doing so, cared for Christ Himself. And conversely, the goats failed to care for those in need and thus did not care for Christ.
Hospitality is a relatively simple thing. To see the needs of others and step in when you can help. Financially, socially, emotionally. But we don’t (I don’t) always do it. We often fail to see the needs or, if we do, fail to follow through. But, of course, it is not always one way or the other. There are times where our generosity knows no bounds while at other times we go about our day not seeing the obvious.
Several years ago, we had a friend who was in need due to a divorce and loss of her apartment. She was struggling financially. We recently had our children move out and had open bedrooms. We had her move in for a year. We charged her a small rent and, unbeknownst to her, we put that money into an account and presented it to her when she moved out.
On the flip side, I don’t always respond favorably when I see someone in need. Especially in financial need. Even though I may have the resources to help an individual or group with monetary donations, I frequently do not. Not sure why. I think maybe a lack of trust in God that He would fulfill my needs and I should be more free to give this money away. Like my hospitable Mom, we are not perfect. What we can hope for is the desire and struggle to do God’s work for the least of our brothers when they cross our paths.
We have the model of the centurion in the Gospel today. Whenever I read this story I think, the reason he didn’t want Jesus to enter under his roof was because he did not want his superiors and neighbors to SEE him with Jesus! The cynic in me is evident. But then I realized. He did not have to even seek out a cure for his servant. He was “just” his servant, after all. He stuck his neck out approaching Jesus for someone else. Someone in a lower position than himself.
Then the story of Jesus healing Peter’s Mother in Law. In the series, “The Chosen” it is clear that Jesus is not only healing the woman but he does so to allow some relief for Peter’s wife and also so that Peter can follow Jesus and not have the added burden of caring for his Mother in Law. Jesus models for us to act in the best interest of others. There were no big crowds heaping adulation on Jesus for healing the woman. He merely did what needed to be done for the good of others.
And what about the story of Beauty and the Beast? The beast became the beast because he did not recognize the enchantress in the old beggar woman who came to his castle when he was the prince. He showed no love for someone he saw as a nothing and was turned into the beast until he could prove that he could love…to seek the best for another at the expense of yourself. Sacrifice.
And this is at the root of hospitality. It is an expression of love through sacrifice. Regardless if the other person could return the favor or not. It is a true picture of acting in the place of God in someone’s life. Legendary coach of the historic UCLA basketball team, John Wooden, said that
“The true test of a man’s character is what they do when no one is watching”.
Prayer
Lord please help me to recognize situations where there are people in need when they cross my path. Help me to see their needs and respond in a loving and caring way. Help me to be You to all those who are really seeking you when they are seeking us.
