Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Saturday of the twelfth week in ordinary time, June 27th, 2026

Delivered by Angeline from the Saint Catherine of Siena Church in the Archdiocese of Seattle, USA. Lamentations 2: 2.10-14.18-19; Rs psalm 74: 1-2.3-5a.5b-7.20-21; Matthew 8: 5-17.THE PRICE OF HOSPITALITY           The theme for our meditation today is: The Price ofHospitality. Hospitality is part of courtesy that deals with matters aboutwelcoming and serving friends, acquaintances or guests who come to us. Theyexperience our hospitality and know that they are truly esteemed. Many storiesin the scriptures show people visiting each other and they were treated sofriendly and cordial. Hospitality does not depend on the guest who comes, nomatter he is important, rich and smart or ordinary, poor and uneducated person.This is very dependent on the generosity and good will of the host. If theforeign guests who come to us are people of such difficulties like the city ofJerusalem whose inhabitants had been destroyed by the Assyrians and taken intoexile in Babylon, a friendly welcome must also be given to them. God himselflistened and comforted them. Jesus Christ welcomed the Centurion who was not abeliever, and then this made that stranger a believer. The hospitality that is shown with kindness and love,also bears  its fruit in love andkindness. Those guests served acquire a dignity of being part of the life ofthe one who offers hospitality and a friendship is built. But there issomething more than that, namely the reward from the Lord will be reallysomething extraordinary. The healing of the servant of Centurion was rewardedwith faith that grew from the person and his family who were non believers. There was a couple who made a promise at the moment oftheir marriage, that the family members from each of them must be welcomedcordially in their house. Their in-laws in whatever condition they are, must betreated respectfully. When the wife's ailing father came to stay in their housefor a better care, the husband seemed to be rather uncomfortable with thepresence of his father in-law, but because of the promise he had made from hismarriage, he was willing to welcome him kindly and so willingly to take care ofhim. He must remove all his complaints, discomfort, or boredom. If hospitality is accompanied with complaints,objections or expressions of half-hearted acceptance, it's better not towelcome and not to have guests. Because when it is forced, hospitality losesits value, and there will be no sweet hospitality, but a bitter welcome.Hospitality must be natural and strengthened by love. Let it be offeredproperly and freely like water flowing in an unstoppable canal. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord Jesus Christ, You teach us that wemust wait in readiness to serve the guest who comes even at midnight. May wealways be friendly to anyone, even though it might give us a kind of discomfortor harm. Our Father who art in heaven... In the name of the Father ...