“Make your house fair as you are able”: you know where the line comes from, right?

People, look east! The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

It’s a poem turned advent hymn, if you don’t know it. And perhaps a great reminder: this is a natural time to check our hospitality readiness.

I know: It’s possible you may have just groaned. This is, despite all efforts to mitigate it, one of the busiest times of the year. Even, or especially, at a parish. And for the parishes that additionally celebrate the feasts of Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and las Posadas…our prayers are with you. It’s beautiful! And it’s a LOT. In the meantime, who is going to: check the batteries in the second mic, and the hearing assistive devices. Check if the kids’ totes freshly filled? Check if the signage is clear, and the front door obvious? Post the mass times on the website? Train the new (and older) ushers know how to help people with mobility issues, or people who are just confused?

The thing is…there is the adult daughter of a parishioner who was just asked to come to Christmas Mass on this visit. She thought for a second, ready to say her automatic no, and something stirred in her to say “okay.” It will be the first time she is at Mass since she was 16. She wonders if it will be awkward, if she will even remember what to do.

There is the neighbor a block down the street who is having a hard year, is finding himself praying “help,” and hasn’t attended a church since childhood. He thinks he can slip in without being noticed on Christmas Eve, because he knows it is always crowded. He thinks he may “come and see.”

There is that family that attends every Christmas but doesn’t return the next week, or the next…. It’s a tradition, but they don’t feel a draw to continue. The harried mom in the family basically says to her husband and kids, look, let’s try it one more time.

What kind of welcome do you want them to receive? Is your parish ready for all the people God is drawing there on December 24th and 25th?

Here are three suggestions, as simply presented as possible, and all things we can manage in this busy time.

1. Starting today, pray daily for those attending Christmas mass, that their hearts will be touched. Do it as a parish staff, and encourage your groups and teams in the parish to do so as well.
2. Check out and quickly delegate the items on this free “welcome readiness list.” Click here to print it out–it’s yours to use or share with your parish! Love, the guest, is on the way!
3. Prepare your “welcome and stay” invitation NOW. What are you inviting people to after Christmas Mass is over? Name those things in the bulletin and announcements, and encourage people new to the parish and long-timers to attend. They can be events already in place, such as a prayer group or Bible study or ongoing service project. Or: are you giving out free books? Create a book study in January and invite new folks. Whatever you do, do not call anyone out for being a “Christmas Catholic.” Do not say “we’re open next Sunday too!” (–it’s a little passive aggressive, trust me.) You could say, with sincerity, “We want all of you here. If you are not sure how to be more connected to this parish, talk to me (Father) after Mass, or those people at the welcome table over there–or sign up right here (point to podium with booklet and pen) and we’ll call you after Jan 1 to make an appointment and have a friendly “getting to know you” coffee.

May you, and all your newcomers, have a blessed Christmas! Love, the Lord, is on the way!