Saturday, August 31, 2013

Why we strive for hospitality: Daily Mass Homily--Friday, August 30th, 2013 (Sisters of St. Scholastica)


             I can’t think of a better antithesis (at least on the surface) in the Scriptures for the virtue of hospitality you Sisters of St. Scholastica live out.  I picture ten of you bridesmaids with your lamps (that you give to each graduate of the college!) waiting for the groom.  I can’t imagine any of you refusing to share your oil with someone without it.
            Yet we must remember the context of this passage.  Jesus is not teaching us to refrain from generosity or service.  This section, towards the end of the Gospel of Matthew, is meant to prepare the disciples both for when the Lord would leave this earth and the end times.
            Jesus is teaching us that, at the end of the day, each of us makes a choice that only we can make—choosing God or rejecting Him.  This can be painful, especially for those of us yearning to give Christ’s love to those who have not yet experienced it. 
            I pray that your example in hospitality and generosity may be an inspiration for all who receive it.  You do not simply care for the elderly, support the poor or welcome college students here on campus.  In doing these acts of kindness, and many others, you are witnessing to God’s love in the world.  May your example help others to choose God in their own lives.

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