Third Sunday of Advent
Give the gift of hospitality
Prayer to guide us through Advent
Holy One, Essence of Kindness,
each day of this Advent Season
guide us to your love through messages of hope,
easy smiles, opened doors, unexpected generosity,
words of understanding,
forgiving hearts and other signs of human kindness.
Help us to recognise your dwelling amongst us
(Joyce Rupp: Return to the Root. 2021. 225: adapted).
Genuine hospitality implies being considerate and choosing to be nonjudgmental – which requires allowing another to enter the room of our hearts without a lot of preconditions. I think of the welcome of Mary’s womb where she nourished Love into human form. Advent today is not about preparing for the coming of the physical Jesus. Mary’s yes provided that welcome for us. However, the Spirit of Love in this human child who arrived long ago remains fully alive. Advent invites us to reawaken our awareness of this mystical presence, to welcome Christ in those who show up wherever we are.
(Joyce Rupp: Return to the Root. 2021. 219)
Many small communities living in the desert areas developed a remarkable system of welcoming pilgrims as an exercise of the sacred duty of hospitality … hospitality was one specific way of rising to the challenge and the gift present in an encounter with those outside one’s own circle
(Fratelli Tutti. 2020. #90)
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Reflections
Where can you give the gift of hospitality in this Advent season?
How can hospitality make it onto your Christmas giving list?
