Christ-inspired hospitality

Every so often we visit an extraordinary family on a beautiful piece of land that we so lovingly refer to as “the farm”. This closely-knit family has built separate residences on the same acreage and often still meets at the main house for dinner together each day. All of the cousins get to play together and are quite good at including all of the different ranges in age. My children have a blast whenever we visit. The greatest part about being there is the hospitality. Visitors are welcomed with such warmth and generosity that one cannot help feeling that this farm is a special place of the grace of Christ.

It has become a tradition that whenever we visit we bring the ingredients to make a special meal. Since my husband is Vietnamese, the most requested recipe seems to be eggrolls. It is a combined effort of mixing, rolling and frying that brings the whole family into the kitchen. Everything is done in shifts, and the fruits of the effort are enjoyed by all.

The conversation is another phenomenal aspect of the gathering. Culture and politics, religion and entertainment are all topics of conversation. No subject is left unturned, and by the end of the day, the world has gotten smaller. Neighbors will stop by, extended family members from a different country are sometimes in town for a visit, and each person contributes a little bit more to the richness of the experience. Not every visitor to the farm is Catholic, but each person who walks onto this hallowed ground of hospitality knows that there is something spectacular about it. It is the love of Christ that welcomes them, and it impresses upon me the universality of the call of Christ.