The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
One of my favorite feelings in the world is the one I get when hosting a gathering. Looking around a room seeing loved ones' faces light up, watching old friends reconnect and new friendships begin brings me so much joy. I love the elements that go into gathering: a fun menu of nostalgic foods, a playlist that creates warmth in the atmosphere, a cozy space where people feel comfortable to be themselves.
Hospitality is not a performance and it’s not a competition. You don’t need a perfectly clean (or large) home, the fanciest foods, or elaborate decorations. Those things can be fun, but they are not what’s at the heart of hospitality: creating a safe place where people can relax and connect. In a world that can often be lonely and isolating, we desperately need hospitality.
In today’s second reading, Saint Paul writes to the Romans, “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.” What does it mean to be truly welcome? I see an image of myself as a child embraced by God, feeling safe in His loving arms.
Imagine Jesus was the guest of honor at a gathering in your home. How would you prepare to welcome Him? Maybe you open the door, and He has a loaf of sourdough tucked under His arm. He has a warm smile and embraces you with love. As he comes inside, He wants to hear everything, and sharing honestly, you feel so loved and seen. He shares wisdom with you and His vision for your life. The buoyancy of being loved by Him creates a desire for growth and greater closeness.
God knows us intimately, every detail, every secret, every sorrow, every breath. We don’t have to perform for Him, scrub our homes top to bottom, agonize over the perfect menu, or feel shame that we aren’t worthy of His presence in our lives. We simply have to open the door and let Him in. We can allow Him to see us however we are, whether that version is joyful and free, or burdened and struggling. The gaze of love in His eyes never wavers.
As we are preparing for Christmas, let us remember the true meaning of hospitality, and open up our hearts and homes to welcome Him in.
Katherine Cimorelli Straneva is a writer and musician in the internationally-acclaimed band of sisters, Cimorelli. She loves hospitality, Eucharistic Adoration, and reading novels while her sons wrestle. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and three sons.
