The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want....
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:1,5-6
Often, when we think of hospitality, we imagine ourselves doing what this psalm describes: preparing the table, filling cups, making others welcome in our homes. In our own way, we offer our guests goodness and love, both through our actions and through the warmth we bring to our actions.
The Psalmist, however, attributes these actions to God, not people. God sets the table, making the food and pouring the wine. God makes us welcome in His house, so much so that we can stay “forever” (v. 6). We are blessed by this divine hospitality, experiencing it especially through the sacraments. By virtue of our Baptism, we become children of God and are welcomed into the family of faith. As we continue to journey with the Church, taking part in Reconciliation, receiving Communion, and being confirmed, we become more active participants in the community, which is the Body of Christ.
We also experience it in all the blessings God pours out over us in our daily lives. God is leading us by example. We are being invited to be “good stewards of God’s varied grace,” (1 Pt 4:10), to cooperate with God in His hospitality. We can be a blessing to others, in as real a way as God blesses us. More than that, we can, and in fact are called to be, the instruments of His blessing. We do this in simple, ordinary ways.
