Gospel Reflection for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

2nd. July – Welcome and Serve each other

Immediately after the tragic fire broke out in the Grenfell Tower Block in West London, there was an outpouring of generosity, sharing and compassion from the local community and from much further away. Christian Churches, Sikh Temples, Muslim Mosques and local community centres opened their doors and welcomed those survivors who had lost everything. Regardless of race, colour, creed and nationality or religious belief, all were welcomed and taken care of.

This is what is described to us in this first reading this Sunday. A woman makes a stranger welcome in her own home and provides him with food and shelter. In the gospel too, Jesus speaks about hospitality and welcome; He says, ‘anyone who welcomes you welcomes me… if anyone gives so much as a cup of water to these little ones, then I tell you, you will not lose your reward.’

We live in a world today that often sees being rich and having money is better than concern for others who have less; being powerful is more important than being an ordinary worker and getting more is better than sharing and giving. Jesus and the gospel challenges that assumption and it challenges us in our own daily lives as we strive to follow Jesus as his disciples.

Someone once said that because we pray and precisely because we pray, we are to turn our attention our brothers and sisters especially those who are need. If we call ourselves Christian and say that we are following Jesus, then this needs to be seen in the quality of ordinary lives. In our gospel, Jesus makes it clear that he is to be centre of our lives. But this does not mean that we ignore others, especially those who are in need of help. As St. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Romans, ‘make hospitality your special care’. Hospitality is about how we welcome and treat others, regardless of who they are. It is about putting their needs and situation before ours. In his letter to the Hebrews Paul also tells us to always welcome strangers, for by doing this, we may be entertaining angels without knowing it.

This week, may we make hospitality our special care. May we be open and ready to reach out and serve those who need our help. May the faith we believe in our hearts, profess with our lips be seen in the work of our hands and in the quality of daily lives. For whatever we do to each other, we do for Christ. Whatever we fail to do for each other, we fail to do for Christ.

• Michael Moore OMI