Sheltering pilgrims: the fourth Work of Mercy and the gift of hospitality

The Works of Mercy through the eyes of a biblical scholar

Exactly one week before the start of the “training” that will engage spazio + spadoni for two weeks on the theme of the Works of Mercy, we continue our in-depth study with the help of biblical scholar Carlo Miglietta.

The fourth corporal Work of Mercy is “sheltering pilgrims”.

The biblical scholar reminds us that whoever performs this work is like:

• God: “The land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers” (Lev 25:23); “I will receive you, and I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (2 Cor 6:17-18).
• Jesus, who welcomes the crowds: “He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing” (Lk 8:40); “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28); “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners («strangers») and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of his household (ed: «family members»: note the play on words) of God” (Eph 2:19).
• Abraham, who by hosting three men at Mamre welcomes God Himself (Gen 18; 19:1; Heb 13:2).
• Job: “No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler” (Job 31:32).

Whoever welcomes foreigners listens to the Word of God

Below are some excerpts:

• “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Ex 22:20; 23:9).
• “Do not deprive the foreigner… of justice, but remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you” (Deut 24:17-18).
• “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Lev 19:33-34; cf. Deut 27:9).
• “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow” (Deut 27:19).
• “Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward” (Mt 10:41).
• “Whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (Jn 13:20).
• “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (Jn 1:11).
• “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Pet 4:9).
• “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Rom 12:13).
• “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” (Rom 14:1).
• “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Heb 13:2; cf. Gen 18:3; 19:2).

The biblical scholar leaves us at the conclusion of this work with a question and a challenge: do we know how to be “fishers of men” (Mk 1:7), identifying those who welcome foreigners and proclaiming to them the beatitude of Mercy: “Blessed are the merciful” (Mt 5:7)?

Hospitality in the HIC SUM project

Hospitality is one of the foundational elements characterizing the HIC SUM project (a Hebrew term meaning “Here I am”), conceived, promoted, and supported by spazio + spadoni.

• First of all, both the missionary Congregation and the Italian association welcome the project to begin structuring it.
• The Italian association and community prepare to welcome the sister who will spend about six months with them.
• When the sister returns to her community, she will share her experience and the proposal to launch a small social enterprise. Concurrently, she will begin training a group of volunteers who will work with her to carry out Works of Mercy. The local people, the parish, and the volunteers will welcome the sister’s proposal.
• In projects located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, volunteers worked to build shelters for destitute villagers so that they too could experience welcome and care.
• The sister and her Congregation will welcome Italian volunteers who will experience mission life in their community for a period.
• At the same time, spazio + spadoni welcomes all project participants into a shared “space” open to everyone.

Photo by Abhyuday Majhi su Unsplash

Source: Carlo Miglietta – The Works of Mercy