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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