Greeting Others (11/20/2023)

Yesterday morning, as I was setting up the table outside of church for the cookie give away after mass, the young man, a middle schooler, stepped to the table and asked me, “What are you doing?” I explained that it was the cookie give away weekend to promote the upcoming Cookie Walk. Then I asked him, “And what are you doing?” because I noticed his family had gone into church without him. “Oh, I’m greeting people.” As I continued to set up, I watched him. He truly was greeting and welcoming everyone as they arrived at church. I wondered to myself whether his family knew what he was doing. They would be proud of him if they saw him.

And the Spirit nudged me and reminded me anew that we are all called to welcome others in the name of Christ. And so, at breakfast I noticed the two young women who’d passed by me as I was setting up for the cookie give away. I didn’t recognize them as “locals,” so I took a cue from the young man, walked over to them at the café counter, and introduced myself. They were indeed new to our community. They will be moving in a month to a townhouse on the edge of our little city. It appeared that they appreciated my going out of my way, noticing them and speaking to them.

I couldn’t shake the image of that young man; all day long and into the evening, the memory of him speaking to every person as they approached warmed my heart and made me smile. I found myself hoping that the high schoolers whom he greeted noticed and realized there isn’t a minimum age for doing good. I hoped, too, that the seniors were filled with hope realizing the potential within the next generations.

It was a “little” thing with a huge impact. As I pondered this in my evening reflection before bed, I thanked the LORD for that day’s “thump” that got my attention as well as my understanding. While we may at times be asked to do “great” things out of faith with love for our LORD and one another, daily we are called to do the “little” things we find along the way that make the way more welcoming to others. And while they cost us “little,” they matter much: a greeting, a kind word, a smile, a small kindness. I found myself praying that I and others would have the courage and determination of this young man to do what we could wherever we could in Jesus’ name.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.