July 11, 2011
Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot
Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work--the whole cruel fate of slaves. Exodus 1:12-14
"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. Matthew 10:40-41
Piety
In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing,
let all humility be shown.
Let the head be bowed
or the whole body prostrated on the ground
in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons…
In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims
the greatest care and solicitude should be shown,
because it is especially in them that Christ is received;
for as far as the rich are concerned,
the very fear which they inspire
wins respect for them.
Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 53, Paragraphs 3, 5
Study
On the feast day of St. Benedict, our Gospel reminds of the virtue of hospitality that marks the Benedictine order. further in Matthew's Gospel, we encounter a verse which echoes today's reading: "I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35).
Such hospitality also marks the Catholic Worker movement started by Dorothy Day. One of the cornerstones in their pursuit of the works of mercy is operation of Houses of Hospitality where the poor are always welcome.
The Hebrews in our first reading encounter just the opposite from the Egyptian king -- in their humility, they are enslaved and forced into hard labor. If that was not enough, they are further persecuted with the slaughter of the innocent children.
Action
What stranger or visitor will come into your life today? Welcome them because they are the Christ you will encounter today.
