Have you ever been invited to a party and didn’t know most of the people attending? It can be very intimidating. The same is true if a newcomer visits Saint Ambrose for Sunday Eucharist. A good party host is particularly attentive to making sure all the guests get to know one another so that everyone is comfortable. One group of people who help us to make sure all guests are comfortable is the Ushers. They greet and welcome people at the door and provide them with a hymnal. They also can give important information such as where the coffee hour or toilets are located. They also take up the collection and manage the offertory procession. At Saint Ambrose, we are so blessed to have incredibly dedicated people in this ministry (although we do need more people at the 4:30 Saturday mass so do tell me if you are interested). Thank you Ushers!
Of course, we can’t leave all the work of creating a welcoming church to the Ushers. As members of the assembly, part of our ministry is to greet and welcome others who celebrate liturgy with us. Although we come to Mass as individuals or individual families, as members of the Body of Christ we are to be welcoming to those around us. This helps form us into the Body of Christ. Feeling welcomed helps us to make it possible for people, especially visitors, to participate freely. If we know people who are visiting, we should make it a point to invite them back. We can also reach out to other parishioners we do not know.
While I thank those dedicated to hospitality ministry every Sunday, I encourage all people in the church to be ministers of hospitality. At Saint Ambrose everyone can be a welcome participant in the celebration. Next week—the Sacristans.