The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - Matthew 10:40-42 - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr
June 28, 2026 - Matthew 10:40-42 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). Almost 1,500 years ago, a monk named Benedict of Nursia wrote what has become known as The Rule of St. Benedict. It was a guide for how a community of Christians should live together day after day. It covers everything from prayer and work to meals, caring for the sick, and welcoming visitors. Benedict believed that ordinary life was the place where people learned to love God. In Chapter 53 of the Rule, Benedict wrote about hospitality. In those days, travel was often on foot. Benedict knew that travelers always needed a place to rest, and most would arrive unexpectedly on a doorstep. Some were tired. Some were poor. Some were demanding. Some would stay only one night. Others would ask to stay longer. In his “rules,” Benedict instructed the monks that all guests who came to them were to be welcomed as Christ. This is an amazing rule, isn...