On the feast of Pentecost, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches at Saint Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania where he interned for three years during seminary. He talks about how Pentecost is a feast of evangelism, and then connects evangelism to hospitality. He claims that evangelism won't happen if people who visit a parish are not received warmly. He uses his current experience on his sabbatical as perspective on authentic hospitality. He goes on to say that by extension the Holy Spirit will not "come and abide in us" if we have a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door of our heart rather than a welcome mat.
Previous Homilies by Fr. Matthew Howell for Pentecost:
