While the value of Hospitality is the source of the four other values – respect, responsibility, spirituality and quality – and which is defined as reaching out to all people and every person, I may say that I find myself at the very heart of this value by virtue of my responsibility.

Being in charge of pastoral care and voluntary service at the Chaplaincy in my Centre in Paris, I have the joy of regularly receiving and welcoming in young people and adults to the Centre. This normally takes place through meetings at which people ask questions about the events and situations which they experience, including those relating to the Church, the Christian faith and the existence of God.

Two years ago a young unbeliever came to see me because in the course of a chaplaincy meeting he had heard people speaking about Jesus and baptism and what this brought to our lives. This was the first time he had ever joined in an activity at the Chaplaincy Centre. The day after this meeting he came to see me and asked me to talk about the baptism of Christians in greater detail Christian and wanted to know who Jesus was and why Jesus was important for Christians, what should he do to become a Christian and what that would change in a person’s life.

I answered that Jesus was important to Christians because he revealed the love of a God who was interested in everything about our lives, and that through baptism we become the sons and daughters of that God. In conclusion I explained that God’s project for us was to live with him in a life without end.

Following our conversation he said that he would like to become. He went back home and spoke to his parents about it, to their great surprise and amazement. He called me on the phone to say how emotional his parents had become at the news. For they called themselves atheists and had never had anything to do with religion. What struck them most was the fact that his son had asked a question and had made the choice on his own. That was something that they had always hoped he would do because he was now 18 and decisions had to be taken regarding his future. They came to see me and said that they wanted to accompany their son in making this request. They agreed to go along the path with this young man, because it was important for him and for them. They joined in all the meetings in preparation for baptism.

Through this hospitality they discovered the Church, and the beauty of the Christian faith. The day he was baptised they were overcome with emotion and delighted about this event in the life of their son.

This experience enabled me to become much bolder in the meetings with young people. I was amazed at the way his parents were affected in their atheistic ideas as a result of their son’s decision.

Hospitality invites me to listen to every young person and every adult and to find time for each person.