Today's reading from Isaiah paints a powerful image of hospitality: “Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith.” This Advent, as we reflect on welcoming Christ, Isaiah calls us to open the gates of our hearts, our homes, and our parishes. But what makes our "city" a place of welcome? What makes it strong? The prophet says it is a city protected by God, a refuge for those who "keep faith" and "trust... forever." Our capacity for true charity and hospitality flows directly from our own foundation of trust in God. We cannot offer a safe harbor to others if our own city walls are crumbling from neglect. Advent is a time to repair those walls through prayer and fasting, making our hearts a "strong city" ready to welcome both the Lord and our neighbor.
Jesus echoes this in the Gospel, warning us against building our house on sand. Simply saying "Lord, Lord" is not enough; we must act on His words. This is the "promotion of the heavenly kingdom" that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton calls "the grand object of our whole life." True hospitality is not a sandy, superficial sentiment. It is the hard, concrete work of building our lives on the rock of Christ’s commands. When we welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, or offer a listening ear, we are laying another stone on that solid foundation. Mother Seton knew this work was about manifesting "God--incarnate for all." Our small acts of welcome participate in God's grand project of welcoming all humanity home to Himself.
This grand project finds its center in what Mother Seton points to last: "His Sacred Body--on our altars." The Eucharist is the ultimate act of divine hospitality, where God welcomes us completely, feeding us with His very self. As we approach the altar, we receive the strength to build our lives on His rock-solid love. We are fed so that we, in turn, can feed others. We are welcomed so that we can "open up the gates" of our own hearts. This Advent, let us ask St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for the grace to build our lives not on the sand of empty words, but on the unshakeable rock of Christ’s active, welcoming, and charitable love.
