A Midsummer's Reflection Series

Monday, June 22, 2026

Meditation 22: Acts 16:13-15 

The White Orchard, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Arles, April 1888

The Acts of the Apostles presents us with vivid portraits of how the earliest Christians lived. Throughout its pages we get glimpses of Christian hospitality that should inspire us to live such hospitality in our own day.

In Acts 16:13-15 we find the account of Lydia, a new convert to the faith. She was moved by Paul’s preaching and was baptized, along with the rest of her household. She then invited Paul and his companions, including Luke himself—who uses the first-person plural “us” (16:15) when he narrates this account—to stay at her house: “come to my house and stay” (16:15).  

The apostles and missionaries were traveling from place to place, and the faithful, the newly converted and those who had been following the Lord for a slightly longer period, opened their homes to them, extending Christian hospitality.

We, too, should think about ways that we can live hospitality to those who are serving the Church in this way. We can and should pray about how we might open our homes—maybe for a meal, or to provide a place to stay when helpful, or even just to visit and spend time—to those dedicating themselves full time to the works of God. These might be our local parish priests, traveling missionaries, seminarians, or others. We can creatively offer hospitality to those around us.  

Lord, help us creatively come up with ways of living Christian hospitality to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving you through their vocations and occupations. In this way, help us to contribute to the spreading of your kingdom, by facilitating the rest and comfort of those dedicated full time to this task. 

Dr. Jeffrey Morrow, Ph.D. is a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Director of the St. Paul Studies Center at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He spent 15 years as a professor of theology at Seton Hall University’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. In his final year in that role, Dr. Morrow worked on the Preaching as Hospitality Formation Program, writing these reflections on Scripture through a lens of hospitality. 

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