The Christian community is not only a network of friends but a community that reaches on to embrace the stranger. Like the father of the Prodigal Son, the role of the usher is to welcome home those who come to share the Good News. The ushers are ministers who make ridiculous the world's assumptions about strangers and enemies and extend the Lord's own welcome. This booklet of prayers, reflections and history will help all ministers of hospitality appreciate more fully their unique ministry of helping their brothers and sisters prepare for a joyful and prayerful celebration of the Eucharist.

The three books in the Ministers of the Lord's Presence series—Eucharistic Ministers' Edition, Lectors' Edition and Ushers'/Greeters' Edition—do not suggest procedures or explain rubrics. Rather, they explore the meaning of each ministry by exploring the way believers have celebrated their understanding of the Lord's presence over the centuries. They invite the minister to reflect on his or her role in and for the community. They do not explain how to be a minister but rather why each particular ministry exists in the Church today.