From today’s Scripture: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” —Mt 10:40

Earlier this summer I was on a flight coming back from visiting Catholic parishes in Iowa to share about the mission and ministries of Glenmary. I had the opportunity to sit next to a couple who had both attended seminary studies and done missionary work as members of other Christian faith communities. One interesting thing they brought up was how they had learned so much from studying the Catholic monastic life, the daily rhythm of prayer, community interaction, work, and silence. They spoke about how they were trying to integrate this into their own lives to be more present to others in ministry. They particularly appreciated the monastic commitment to hospitality, emphasized in today’s Scripture passage.

As we were getting ready to deplane, the husband took the time to look at the airline app to figure out where I had to run to, and where he and his wife had to go. We parted ways at a juncture of hallways in the airport, with a quick hug and promise to stay in touch. What a generous act of hospitality—as I probably wouldn’t have found my dark hallway at all!

Let us pray: Dear God, help me to put Christian love into action through my practices of hospitality, especially for those who are struggling.

Today’s author is Julia Sauter, a member of Glenmary’s Development team. She holds a master’s degree in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

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