A HEART OF HOSPITALITY
“Come, have breakfast.” – Jn. 21:12
On Easter Sunday, about 20 family members filled my parents’ home for a delicious brunch, fun Easter games, and lively conversation. It was a time to simply be with one another amidst our busy schedules, to catch up and celebrate, and to figure out who would have bragging rights for the adult Easter egg hunt and annual egg drop contest. Ever since I can remember, sharing a meal together is a way that my family shows love and hospitality. My nana always had frijoles on her stove to fill our bellies, my dad consistently offers to throw something on the barbeque to bring us together, and my mom always makes sure we have plenty of food and matching tablecloths to transform the day to make us feel special. Sharing a meal is a time of connection, a way to serve one another, a labor of love that doesn’t ask much of us, other than to show up and simply hang out with each other.
In today’s gospel, we read how the disciples trust a stranger as they cast out their nets one more time surprised with the abundant results they receive. As Peter recognizes Jesus, he jumps into the water with great eagerness to encounter the Resurrected One, and as the disciples pull their full net of fish to shore, Jesus invites them to have breakfast with Him. This gentle invitation summons them into something much greater than the fish and bread they are about to eat; it invites them into a sharing of love, an invitation to simply be present with Jesus, their Loved One and Friend. Jesus, like my family, receives me with warmth and delights in spending time together.
Risen Christ, may we humbly accept Your invitation to become aware of how your heart of hospitality encourages us to be in communion with one another.
How might Jesus’ gentle, hospitable invitation call us into a more intimate relationship with Him during this Easter season?
Jaclyn Torres
Photo Credit: Beach Campfire