(A reflection on Matthew 25:31-46)

In the gospel for today, Monday, February 23rd, Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus tells his disciples that when the Son of Man comes, He will separate the sheep from the goats; that the sheep are those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the ill, and visited the imprisoned, and the unfortunate goats are those who didn’t.  It’s all about the charitable works of mercy.

With the Lenten season upon us we should be sincerely trying to live and grow in a deeper relationship with our Lord through focused prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  However, our focus can easily become self-centered as we endeavor to stick with our plans to fast and improve our piety.  But almsgiving, the charitable and outward looking aspect of the trio, can take a back seat.  What can you do to avoid this?

Certainly you can increase your weekly contribution to the collection basket and let that serve the less fortunate in a variety of ways.  You can easily feed the hungry by purchasing groceries and drop them off at your local food pantry, or invest a little more effort by serving at a food kitchen.  You can clean out your closet and donate the seldom worn clothing to a charitable organization.  You can care for the ill and imprisoned by visiting a nursing home.  But, where will you fit welcoming the stranger into the mix this Lent?

Welcoming a stranger, someone you don’t know, is the first step in building a friendship.  It helps the stranger feel comfortable in their new surroundings by removing some of the fear they may have built up inside them.  And, In a very real sense, welcoming a stranger is the first step in evangelizing a stranger when the person being welcomed is a stranger to our faith even if we already know them.  This could be someone who is un-churched, someone from another ecclesial community other than Catholicism, or even a lukewarm or fallen-away Catholic.  The feeling of being welcomed and accepted by us for who they are as a wonderfully made child of God is necessary before any conversion will ever happen.

Fortunately most parishes have a plethora of opportunities during the Lenten season that can be avenues for evangelization through invitation, such as: Lenten missions, small group Bible studies, guest speakers, and no-pressure social functions.  And don’t forget the friendly Friday fish fries and the all powerful Stations of the Cross!  If you’re a self-starter and want to truly welcome strangers who are new to your parish, you can ask your parish office for their contact information so you can call them and arrange to meet for a cup of coffee at a local diner and offer to help them navigate their new parish surroundings.  Or simply introduce yourself at Mass or an event to someone you’ve never met before.  All of these are opportunities to evangelize by welcoming and inviting others to experience friendship and ultimately hear the gospel proclaimed.

So, who will you welcome and invite this Lent?

“Heavenly Father, this Lent I pray for the grace to grow closer to You by building self-control through fasting, by conversing with You more often in prayer, and in almsgiving by inviting others into a relationship with You, the best gift this side of heaven.  Amen.”

(Welcoming the Stranger was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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