Hospitality is a common word in our society and usually refers to corporate hospitality or the hospitality industry.  The way of life that I chose many years ago was to follow a different kind of hospitality.  I chose to take a Vow of Hospitality as a Brother of St. John of God in order to dedicate my life to the service of the sick, the poor and the needy in imitation of the compassionate and merciful Christ of the Gospel.  I do this in the manner of St. John of God.  Our Founder was called ‘John of God’ precisely because he was a man who revealed God through his love and St.  John of God’s expression of that love was through his hospitality.

I thank God for the gift that he has given me to follow in the footsteps of St. John of God.  I consider it a great privilege, even though sometimes I struggle, to spend my life caring for the sick, the poor and the needy and working with so many dedicated people with a similar calling.  I am daily inspired by the people I work with and the people I work for.  They give me strength to keep going and of course daily Mass and prayer give me the spiritual energy that I need to remain focused on following Jesus, the Good Samaritan. In the words of our Constitutions, “Following and serving our Lord Jesus Christ is the main concerns of our lives, we want to love him above all things of this world and for the love of him and his goodness we want to do good and offer loving assistance to the poor and those in need” (Cons. Art.4).

I have to strive every day to find the best possible ways of practising ways of hospitality to others by following the example and insights of St. John of God.  I don’t find it easy all the time, but that is part of who I am.  However I am very happy with my life and the daily opportunities I have as a Brother of St. John of God, to follow the first and greatest commandment… to love God, to love my neighbour and to love myself.