During this Season of Lent, we are taking a triple approach to our Lenten Journey. First, we invite everyone to commit to the traditional disciplines of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Second, Second, one of our justice committees will offer a weekly reflection focused on different social justice concerns. Third, we will offer a weekly meditation on different Christian virtues such as hospitality, integrity, humility, clarity, unity, and strength, one each week. During the first week of Lent we will focus on Hospitality.
I recently saw a poster inviting people to what was advertised as a “Hospitality Sunday.” The poster showed a lovely array of donuts and promised “cookies, coffee and camaraderie.” I felt somewhat cheated because they tempted me with donuts and only promised cookies. But more importantly I was saddened by the reduction of hospitality to “Cookies, Coffee and Camaraderie.”
The Origin and Meaning of the Word “Hospitality”
The word hospitality is derived from the Latin hospitalitatem meaning ‘kindness to guests.’ The root of hospitalitatem is hospes which interestingly means both ‘guest’ and ‘host.’ For Christians this points to the fact that we are both host and guest. In the Eucharist, Christ is our host and we are his guests while in the world, we are the host and Christ is our guest in all those we meet.
The Call to Hospitality in Scripture and Traditions
In 2021, the Basilica hosted “Angels Unawares,” the famous sculpture by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. Tightly packed on a boat, Angels Unawares depicts 140 almost life size people. They represent migrants from all times and all places. Some of them migrated by choice looking for adventure, driven by curiosity, or responding to opportunity. Some of them migrated out of necessity, due to war, persecution, starvation or threats of death. Some were pressed into migration as they were forcibly removed from their homelands and sent into endless misery. At the center of “Angels Unawares” are two large angel’s wings referencing the admonishment in Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews 13:2 to “show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
The virtue of Christian hospitality is deeply rooted in scripture. The instruction to “welcome the stranger” appears 36 times in the first five books of the Bible (Torah). Hospitality, in the New Testament, is not just kindness shown to a stranger, but an act of service to Christ. In Matthew 25: 35 Jesus states: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Our Catholic tradition also emphasizes the need for hospitality. The Rule of Saint Benedict, for instance, in chapter 53 states that all guests are to be welcomed as Christ himself, making hospitality a sacred duty. Guest, according to St. Benedict, particularly those who are poor and pilgrims need to be welcomed with immense care, respect, and love, even if this required monks to interrupt their work or even their prayer to serve them.
The Radical Nature of Christian Hospitality
Christian hospitality, in its truest sense, transcends the mere act of helping someone in need. It is the intentional opening of our hearts to others, modeled after the inexhaustible welcome extended to us by Christ, who receives all without reservation or partiality. That is what makes Christian hospitality “radical” hospitality.
To practice Christian hospitality is to participate in God’s unconditional love. The Gospels report that Jesus frequently shared meals and fellowship with those considered outsiders and strangers, thereby affirming the inherent dignity and worth of every individual.
What sets Christian hospitality apart is that it is rooted in the commandment to recognize Christ in everyone, whether they are relatives, friends, or unknown visitors. It demands of us a willingness to open our heart to everyone, especially those most in need, to listen attentively, and to serve selflessly, expecting nothing in return. And sometimes it is through simple gestures such as a cordial greeting, a shared meal, or a compassionate ear that we manifest the love of God in tangible ways to our neighbors.
Some Suggestions to Cultivate Hospitality
Focus on Jesus: The goal of Christian hospitality is to manifest and share Christ’s love, and to recognize Christ in others.
Pray First: Pray for those you meet, asking God to help you be a life-giving presence to them and to grant them all they need.
Be Welcoming: Greet people genuinely and warmly at church, at work, in stores and in the street.
Engage in Conversation: Ask thoughtful questions to get to know people, while being respectful of people’s boundaries.
Serve Others: Find concrete ways to serve others who are in need. Look in on a neighbor. Offer to take a meal to someone who is grieving or sick. Or volunteer in one of the many ministries in The Basilica.
Blessed Lent,
Johan van Parys, PhD
Managing Director of Ministries/ Director of Liturgy & Sacred Arts