There is a line written by St. Paul in today’s reading to the Thessalonians that stood out to me: “With joy from the Holy Spirit, you became a model for all the believers…” Obviously, he was praising the early Christians for how well they received those who came into their circle. Isn’t it true that hospitality is such a powerful virtue that makes others feel at home and builds friendships? Last weekend I felt we at Blessed Sacrament were very much like those early Christians. While we were having the Fall Festival, I noticed the warm welcome we gave to those visitors who came to win some prizes. Little did they know that they were going to receive the grandest prize anyone could offer to another person: Christian hospitality! All of you, our workers, parishioners and volunteers were showing big smiles in a very neighborly way. One wouldn’t think that this event was just a fundraiser. Instead of us just hoping to have dollar signs reflected in our eyes, we wore expressions of welcome and warmth that made every guest wear a smile. You see, I stood at the front door just to watch people’s reactions to us and our reactions to our guests. We gave them a warm welcome! The money they brought was secondary. We probably didn’t realize we were evangelizing our guests, which means we were preaching the Gospel to them. “You became a model to all the believers.” many guests said to me: “Father, you have a wonderful people here! It is a very warm parish here!” And I said, “I know” with a big smile. Then added, “Why do you think I’ve stayed here so long?” Just think for a moment about how visitors love our parish. Even Fr. Ray loves our parish. He told me he can’t wait to come back here this weekend and begin to say Mass. It’s not just because you laugh at his jokes. It’s because you “became a model to him,” making him feel at home! The whole point of our ministries here, whether they be liturgical (The Sacraments), prayerful (Adoration), or social (our many joyful events), God expresses His love by the way He shares it through people. And we here at Blessed Sacrament continue to make it all possible! Remember, it’s never about how much we make, but about how we love one another!          

~ Fr. John