Welcome back to living life to the fullest! Things are starting to calm down in the ‘world according to COVID’ as people begin to start living with each other again. What a terrible two years it has been for getting together with friends and family. I’m ready for hospitality to make a comeback, how about you?
Next week, we are getting ready to head into Ash Wednesday and Lent. It’s time to prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Jesus. Let’s do it by getting together with others, in our homes with hospitality.
Isn’t life more enjoyable with friends and family? Don’t you like to share food and good conversation? It definitely is a benefit to our mental health and our homes get cleaned in the process. –Win/win. Bringing others into your home shows that you genuinely care for them.
Getting Started
We are beginning this initiative at our church thanks to our pastor and it is quite simple and yet so genius. There are three elements:
1) Dine regularly. 2) Deepen relationships. 3) Daily rosary. Now, I know that not everyone who reads this is Catholic (although, why not?), but you could change the rosary to ‘prayer’.
Start by inviting a small group of people to your home once a week during Lent. It could just be two or three. Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered, he would be in their midst, right? Next, share a meal. It doesn’t have to be anything big, soup, a sandwich. It doesn’t matter. Just food and conversation. There is no formal study, no required reading, just talking together and getting to know each other. Talk about your lives and where you could use some prayer. Share stories and wisdom. Maybe talk about things you’ve been struggling with. Then, pray together. Say a decade of the rosary together. Build on praying the whole rosary. The breaking of bread and prayer is exactly how the disciples carried out the work of Christ.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Matthew 18:20
Your Challenge
We need to get back to living life together. With all our devices and technological advances, we are slowly becoming closed off from personal engagement with each other. We are on our phones 24/7. We’ve had a pandemic which separated us off from gathering with others.
I’m challenging you to begin again by bringing others into your homes, sharing your food and praying together. Hospitality will make a comeback. Our children will learn from watching us, because they’re always watching us. I believe it just might change the world.
Action Steps
- Dine regularly
- Deepen relationships
- Daily rosary
Lent begins Ash Wednesday, March 2 and builds into the excitement of Easter Sunday, April 17. This could be a chance to learn more about Christ with your friends and family, to share your faith with others and a few recipes. If you need help with the prayer or rosary part, here’s a great resource: dailyrosary.net.
Please share with your friends. Spread the good news. Hospitality is coming back! God bless. I appreciate you!–Barb