Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

54 THE PASSIONATE STEWARD
drastically in North America, it was rising exponentially in countries
around the globe. In Africa the Church grew through evangelization,
while in Poland and China it remained steadfast in the face of
oppression. We must recover our sense of ourselves as Christians, our
souls individually and indelibly marked by the sign of our baptism,
but corporately linked to one another in the worldwide struggle for
salvation. If we fail to do this we are bound to see only that which is
before our eyes daily—to take the short view—and our lives will be
terribly limited. How depressing it would be for us if our values were
powerless to transcend our experiences.
Hospitality and Reception
Within congregations, our anxiety about church attendance
sometimes spills over into the way we view seekers and newcomers.
The tendency is to see the newcomer as a potential donor, or a
committee member—as someone who will help us to carry the
burden of ministry. But this is essentially to objectify people, valuing
them for what they may be able to give, rather than for who they are.
The newcomer is himself or herself a gift whom God has offered his
Church. How we receive, care for, study, learn from, develop, interact
with, and deploy that gift is a matter of stewardship.
How we receive inquirers and newcomers when they cross the
threshold impacts greatly on how they perceive our community.
Taking the time to teach volunteers how properly to exercise a
ministry of hospitality towards seekers is probably one of the most
rewarding aspects of our vocation as stewards. It is not enough
simply to smile and hand newcomers a leaflet or missal; we must
genuinely greet and accept them. In this regard, there is no better
model for Christian hospitality and welcoming than Mary, who
chose to receive the Christ-child in her womb without knowing
exactly what it would entail for her life, or the salvific path of
humanity. Mary’s hospitable reception of the Christ-child in
response to God’s plan for humanity was a choice, not an