Homily Feast of St. Agatha (Hebrews13:1-8) “Who is Knocking at My Door?”
Homily Feast of St. Agatha (Hebrews13:1-8) “Who is Knocking at My Door?”
Hospitality is not often thought of as a quality that is necessary for Christians, but it has been a Judeo-Christian tradition to welcome the stranger. We could say that this tradition began with Abraham and Sarah in the Book of Genesis chapter 18. Three strangers come to Abraham’s camp. Abraham goes out of his way to be kind to them. He feeds them his best food and makes sure that they are comfortable in the shade. In the end they announce to Abraham that he will have a son called Isaac.
In the Old Testament the Israelites were encouraged to be hospitable to the stranger and to welcome the alien. Why do they do this? Because they once were foreigners in the Land of Egypt.
The quality of being hospitable carried over into Christianity. There are many stories of saints who welcomed a stranger into their home only to find out later it was Jesus in disguise.
St. Benedict stated in his rule that his monks would welcome anyone who came to the monastery and treat them as if they were Christ. The stranger could stay as long as they needed. Before there was Motel 6, there were monasteries. Travelers would often travel from monastery to monastery because it was usually a safe place to stay.
When we think about being hospitable to the stranger, we could remember the migrants at our southern border. The Catholic Church has stood with the refugees and asked for safe treatment for them. Hopefully, we will have new laws soon that will keep parents from being separated from their children and will allow a logical path to citizenship.
As Christians we need to welcome the person that comes to our front door and we need to be welcoming to the person who arrives at the border of our country. This has been the Judeo-Christian tradition from the beginning.
Reflection Questions:
- Homes seem to be less welcoming than they have been in the past. We like our privacy. Have I missed having guests in my home the last year?
- Do I empathize with those fleeing deprivation and violence in their home country? What should be done for the aliens among us?
Dear Parishioners,
We usually have a book discussion group during Lent. This year it is not possible to have small groups because of the pandemic. We will have a virtual discussion group based on the book Jesus Wears Socks with Sandals.
These interactions will use Zoom and our Facebook page. Volunteers have been hard at work on this program the last few weeks. These sessions will start the Thursday after Ash Wednesday.
Each week a parishioner and I will have a dialogue about one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit highlighted in the book. Please block off your calendars for Thursday nights at 7 p.m. The first night, February 18th, we will be joined by the books author Deacon S. James Meyer.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark