Newsletter June 28th 2026 / 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection: The Radical Hospitality of the Cross

In this Sunday’s readings, we are given a masterclass in what it means to live a life centered on Christ. At first glance, the readings seem to touch on very different themes: the kindness of a woman in Shunem, the theology of Baptism in Romans, and the challenging call of discipleship in Matthew’s Gospel. Yet, they are all bound by a single thread: the movement from self-interest to self-surrender.

In the first reading, the woman of Shunem recognizes the holiness of Elisha. Without asking for a reward, she offers him a place to stay—a simple, radical act of hospitality that eventually leads to the miracle of new life. She didn’t know the depth of what she was receiving, but by making space for the prophet, she made space for God’s grace in her home.

This sets the stage for today’s Gospel, where Jesus offers a challenging standard for his followers. He tells us that to love    anything—even our own comforts or past ways of living—more than Him is to miss the point of the journey. To “take up our cross” sounds daunting, but St. Paul explains exactly what this looks like in his letter to the Romans. He reminds us that through Baptism, we have already died to our old selves. We have been “buried with Christ” so that we might walk in “newness of life.”

The call to discipleship is not about adding more burdens to our day; it is about a total shift in focus. When we welcome the “prophets” in our lives—the stranger, the poor, the neighbour in need—we are welcoming Christ Himself. When we choose to die to our own ego, we find that we are actually becoming more alive.

As we head into this week, let us ask ourselves: What is one thing I am clinging to that keeps me from fully embracing the “newness of life” that Christ offers?

Whether it is a grudge we refuse to release, a fear of being inconvenienced, or a hesitation to share our resources, let us remember the woman of Shunem. She made room for a prophet and received a miracle. May we, too, make room for the Lord in the ordinary moments of our week, trusting that when we lose our lives for His sake, we find them in abundance.