Corporal and Spiritual Works of Shelter the Homeless – Welcome the Stranger by: Rev. Tyler Bischoff 2nd in a series– Diocese of Gaylord I think it can be said that many of us have in some way, shape, or form experienced the pain of being alone, lost, or separated from others. The human person is created by Love (the ) for love. There is an innate desire in every human heart to be loved and to love – to be part of a community – to be welcomed. Love is really only possible when there is „another‟ to love and to be loved. So when we are alone, when we are confronted by our radical need for „another‟ we experience pain and sorrow. That is why it is such an act of mercy and of love to reach out to the lonely, the stranger, the homeless – to encounter the „other‟ in their aloneness and say with our actions “You are not alone”. In the spring of 2014 during my 3rd year of Theology, I had the opportunity to travel with Relief Services (CRS) to Bosnia-Herzegovina. While we were there, we got to see the various ways that CRS is able to bring to life the Catholic social doctrine in a country that has been fractured by years of civil war and ethnic divisions. One of the programs that CRS was sponsoring was a sort of grassroots solidarity program. Basically in small communities, churches, mosques, and schools, local speakers were brought in to share their experience of the civil war from all three points of view – Serbian, Croat, Bosniak. What was so impressive to me was not only the sharing of experiences from one generation to the next, but the hospitality that was shown in these situations. Think about it. Neighbors who appear to be separated by ethnic and religious differences are welcoming each other into their schools, churches, mosques, and even their homes to share in a common experience – to encounter one another as persons and not as enemies. Throughout the Scriptures, there are countless stories, which highlight the importance of showing hospitality. One of the more fascinating accounts is in the book of Genesis 18, 1-15. Abraham and Sarah encounter three men who appear at the entrance of their tent. Abraham welcomes them, washes their feet, and prepares a fine meal. These strangers, the scriptures say, were messengers of God, who had been sent by the Lord to tell Abraham and Sarah the good news that in one year Sarah would bear a son in her old age. The promise made to Abraham would be fulfilled. This passage has always fascinated believers. It serves as a lesson that we should always welcome and house the stranger just as we would welcome the Lord himself into our homes. reinforces this teaching in the Gospels. We all know the passage from Matthew 25, which serves as the foundation of all the corporal acts of mercy.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. (Matthew 25:35-36)

With this scripture passage in mind Christians have always maintained the importance of welcoming the stranger, putting him up, and seeing to his needs. St. Benedict in his Monastic Rule makes it an absolute mandate of the brothers to welcome whomever appears at the door just as you would welcome Christ himself. There really is no doubt that a firm part of the Christian tradition is to be hospitable, to welcome the stranger, and to shelter the homeless. But the question that always remains is: HOW? How have I welcomed the stranger in the past? How have I failed to recognize the stranger hidden among us? One of the greatest gifts we have by virtue of our is the freedom we have as beloved sons and daughters of God. The freedom we have in Christ allows us – or rather calls us – to be creative in how we serve the Lord and others. There is no one formula on how to welcome the stranger and how to shelter the homeless. There are a myriad of ways that we can little by little see Christ in others and serve them as we would serve Him. The key is that we have to be intentional about it. If we‟re not intentional, then it is far too easy to ignore the stranger who is already in front of us. Let‟s make it part of our daily examination of conscience. Write down each week a goal, a new way to be hospitable. When was the last time we welcomed the visitor at Mass? When was the last time we volunteered at the local homeless shelter? When was the last time we stepped outside of our comfort zone to encounter the other to say simply „Can I help you‟? “For I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”

Secretariat for Worship and Liturgical Formation – Catholic Diocese of Gaylord