As part of the 2014 Fortnight for Freedom, I offer this
reflection on the ways that a parish’s ministry of hospitality is founded upon
religious freedom.
Every person has the right to seek, choose, and express
religion freely because every person has inherent dignity. Those who choose Christianity receive the
noble duty to greet and serve others in love, because those others are made in
the image and likeness of the eternal God.
This is not an optional suggestion, it is a requirement of discipleship
in Christ.
This obligation is placed upon us at Baptism, and it is
anchored in the Scriptures and the Church’s constant teaching over centuries. Each Christian is to live as Jesus commands:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). In order to do this, each Christian also
receives tools (called charisms) that
empower him or her to be a channel of God’s love in the world. Christian hospitality is one such gift, and
it very often helps open a person’s heart to hear the Gospel. Greeting someone joyfully may seem quite
simple, but it carries great Christian significance.
Hospitality is an important demonstration of the faith we
profess, at the personal level and at the parish level. At Catholic Church of the Incarnation, our
hospitality ministry greets all parishioners and guests as they enter our
church at every Sunday Mass. A simple
smile and a “hello” from a minister help our brothers and sisters feel
welcome. Further, a heart-felt greeting
encourages them to clear their minds of the world’s secular influence and focus
as they begin preparing to worship God. Greeters,
and I among them, believe that this is one of the most powerful things that we
can give to seekers.
This was proved to me in a powerful way several years
ago. I was a fallen-away Catholic who
had not attended Mass in thirty years. I
had been isolated, but I was hopeful of reconciliation with the Church. Needless to say, I was a little nervous
because I didn’t know how I might be received.
Thankfully, the good folks at the parish had chosen to exercise their
own human dignity and religious freedom to greet me in faith, hope, joy, and
compassionate enthusiasm. I owe them my
deepest gratitude because they helped me come out of isolation and come home to
the one, true Church. They helped me to
meet Christ again.
The witness that I saw inspired me to grow in charity and
spread that charity to others. To love
is to serve, and so I serve the parish in various ways, especially through the
hospitality ministry. I love my
neighbors as brothers and sisters in Christ by greeting them at the doors of
the church before Mass. For a single
adult, I may be the face of a loving parish community to her. For the young family struggling to get their
kids to Mass, I might be able to bring them hope of establishing a family bond
during worship. I am always glad to
extend my hand in love and compassion, and I am always blessed to have hands
extended in return. In them, I see the
light of Christ and I want it to burn more brightly.
Hospitality, then, is an expression of who we are and
what we believe. Yet, that expression is
in danger in the present day. In
general, our culture doesn’t care much to seek or amplify the light of
Christ. More specifically, government
bodies, laws, and executive orders are encroaching upon our freedom to greet
and serve our fellow humans and Christians.
We must remember, though, that groups and government entities cannot
suppress our call from Christ. No
earthly bonds may constrain us in our efforts.
So, we must pray, fast, and act to protect religious
freedom. Most importantly, we must live
in such a way that the light of Christ shines before all men and women. Let us begin by greeting them with a warm
smile and a kind word.
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