+ In the Love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This morning we are having our second Mass on the Grass, and there are four ways in which it’s déjà vu all over again:
First, just like back in July, this is my first Sunday back after being on vacation; second, just like back in July, I’m preaching; third, just like back in July, I’m with the [St. Gregory's worship] band(!); and fourth, and much more significantly, our lessons last July and this morning are about hospitality.
Last July, we heard the story of Abraham’s hospitality when three angels disguised as men visited him. This morning, the author of Hebrews alludes to that story when he writes, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (v. 2).
Let’s take a close look at the first two verses of the reading from Hebrews. The first verse is translated “Let mutual love continue.” A more literal translation from the Greek is this: “Let brotherly love continue.” Apparently the translators wanted to be gender neutral, and decided that “Let brotherly and sisterly love continue” was just too awkward! But however it’s translated, the Greek word in this first verse is one that you all know, even if you don't know that you know it! Anyone know what the Greek word for "brotherly love" is? {{Congregational Response}} [philadelphia: phil― love; adelphia― brothers]
So the first verse is “Let philadelphia continue,” which most literally means “Let love of brothers continue,” and which in the context of this reading means, “Let love of your brothers and sisters in Christ continue.”
Now let’s look at verse 2: “Do not neglect to show philoxenias, for by doing that some have entertained strangers unawares.” If philadelphia means “love of brothers,” what do you suppose philoxenias means? {{Congregational Response}} [philo― love; xenias― strangers.] So the most literal translation of the second verse is this: “Do not neglect to show love of strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels unawares.”
And notice that for Christians, for us, the definition of “hospitality” is love of strangers.
So the author of Hebrews is reminding us this morning that we are to practice both philadelphia and philoxenias― love of brothers and sisters in Christ, and love of strangers.
Hospitality, of course, requires a host. What are the qualities of a good host?
Henri Nouwen, the late Dutch Roman Catholic priest, wrote this in his now classic book Reaching Out (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc, 1975):
“Poverty makes a good host.” And then Nouwen goes on to say that “two forms of poverty are very important, the poverty of the mind and the poverty of the heart” (p. 73).
Here’s what Henri Nouwen describes as “The Poverty of Mind”:
“Someone who is filled with ideas, concepts, opinions and convictions cannot be a good host. There is no inner space to listen, no openness to discover the gift of the other. It is not difficult to see how those ‘who know it all’ can kill a conversation and prevent an exchange of ideas” (p. 74)
And here’s how Nouwen describes “The Poverty of Heart”:
“A good host not only has to be poor in mind but also poor in heart. When our heart is filled with prejudices, worries, jealousies, there is little room for the stranger. In a fearful environment it is not easy to keep our hearts open to the wide range of human experiences. Real hospitality, however, is not exclusive but inclusive and creates space for a large variety of human experiences” (p. 75).
Poverty of Mind and Poverty of Heart have been in short supply in our current debates about immigration policy and about the Islamic Center in New York City. The voices of xenophobia― the fear of the stranger― have all but overwhelmed the voices of Christian philoxenias― the love of strangers.
Henry Nouwen also wrote about a special kind of host― the teacher. This week many of our children went back to school, and in another two weeks our Sunday School will start again. So here’s what Nouwen wrote about teaching:
“When we want to speak about the ‘spirituality of the teacher,’ two aspects of the task ask for special attention: revealing and affirming.
“The hospitable teacher has to reveal to the students that [the students] have something to offer. Many students have been for so many years on the receiving side . . . that they have lost confidence in themselves and can hardly imagine that they themselves have something to give. . . .
“[The hospitable teacher will] help the students . . . [reveal] the beauty of the gifts they are carrying with them. We will never believe we have anything to give unless there is someone who is able to receive” (p. 61).
In other words, the hospitable teacher practices “Poverty of Mind.” As Nouwen goes on to write, the hospitable teacher also practices “Poverty of Heart”:
“What is revealed as good, worthwhile or as a new contribution [by the student], needs to be affirmed. . . . The good host is the one who not only helps the [students] to see that they have hidden talents, but who also is able to help them develop and deepen these talents so that they can continue their way on their own with a renewed self-confidence” (Ibid.)
One of the things I most cherish about our parish is how we welcome the stranger on Sundays, and how we reveal and affirm the many gifts we have to offer that nourish and renew our life together.
May God grant us the poverty of mind and heart to continue growing both in philadelphia and in philoxenias. Amen.
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