My son, go out and try to find a poor man from among our kinsman exiled here in Nieveh. If he is a sincere worshipper of God, bring him back with you, so that he can share this meal with me. Tobit 2:2

After a long day, hospitality is not on the top of my list.  The only hunger I can sometime think about is my own. Yet here is Tobit refusing to eat until "a poor man" can be brought to his table.  His example reminds me that neighbors and strangers alike need nourishment.

Lately I am beginning my own family and living in a home further away from the parish and relatives.  I'm learning that building community takes planning.  Hosting meals can be a burden, but in these moments, more than food is shared.  Whenever we can manage to respond to the needs of others, we will find that we will be nourished ourselves.

Lord, give me strength and courage to welcome the hungry.

Julia DiSalvo

We have given up everything and followed you. Mark 10:28

What moved Peter to say this?  He'd just heard Jesus tell a rich young man to sell everything: the man went away, possessions intact, plus sadness.  Perhaps Peter was eager to prove his superiority.  Maybe he wanted to make sure all this sacrifice was going to get him somewhere.  Perhaps it was a backhanded complaint about hardships endured, or any indirect way of saying, "I'm scared but I am with you."  Peter could have been learning to tell Jesus,  "I love you."

If I look inside myself, I find all these threads tangled up in my heart.  In a movie I saw. a monk who owns nearly nothing watches sadly as his beautiful red blanket is taken away.  He discovers he needs to let it go, as he has been putting it ahead of his love of Christ.  I found it so hard to watch, I realized I myself have attachments.  If we let them, Jesus' words can illumine the shadowy places of our hearts.

My God!  Help me to let go and let you in.

Mary Marocco