Welcoming the Stranger

St. Catherine's in Kauai - not my picture

I recently visited the Hawaiian island of Kauai.  I am a Catholic so naturally I wanted to attend a Catholic Mass when the weekend rolled around.  I was delighted to find quite a lot of Catholic parishes on the island and my sisters and I settled on the 5pm Saturday night Mass at St. Catherine's.

We found our way to a nice discreet middle pew.  Or so I thought.  A few minutes after settling into our pew a nice gentlemen sat down beside us and mentions how he hasn't seen us before.  I quickly explained how we were visitors.  He welcomed us and asked if we would be willing to bring up the gifts!  "Sure," I said without even hesitating.  He pointed them out and explained what we should do then headed off to one of the pews in the front.  My sister excitedly whispered to us how the priest at her parish said you should always accept to bring up the gifts if you ever get the chance because it is a great honor.  What a great honor to bestow on guests visiting the parish for the fist time! 

As we sat waiting for Mass to start we noticed some women going around distributing sea shell lei.  One of the women made her way to us and welcomed us and gave us each a lei as well.  We soon realized the lei were for all of the visitors!  I suppose it may just be a Hawaii thing, because we received a lei for going into one of the stores as well, but I felt so welcomed at that parish.  I felt as if the people were genuinely happy to have us and all of the visitors at their Mass.

It was a beautiful Mass with the doors left wide open and the wind freely blew through the Church during the whole ceremony.  I have not felt that welcome at a parish at Mass in years. 

I have visited around seven different parishes since moving to Orange County California and more often than not I feel like I'm inside an invisible box the entire time except for the peace be with you part.  Sometimes I will get a kind word from a stranger, but usually only after attending several Masses.  The way every guest and visitor was welcomed in their pew at St. Catherine's was not something I've ever seen before and I've been to Churches all over America.  It made me feel like I really belonged and the greater Catholic family was happy to have so many brothers and sisters join in the celebration.

To welcome the stranger is a work of mercy.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if every Catholic Church took this work of mercy to heart and welcomed the strangers like those kind souls at St. Catherine's did?  We are all part of the Body of Christ and are truly brothers and sisters in Christ.  If an unbaptized  stranger walks into a Catholic Church for the first time ever and received a smile or kind word that could start them on a path to unity with Christ.

I find this very difficult to live out because I feel that I am often the one who is the stranger.  But at the same time I do feel at home in any Catholic Church because my Lord dwells there.  Let us strive together to welcome each other into our parishes because when we go there we are truly all welcomed guests.