The Jewish People Are Holy
Rav Pinchas explained that he declined invitations not out of aloofness but out of care for his hosts, whom he regarded as holy.
Rebbi Pinchas ben Yair was known for never eating at another person's table, so when he accepted Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi's invitation, Rebbi's face lit up. Rav Pinchas explained that he had not been avoiding the hospitality of other Jews as if he had vowed against it. On the contrary, he said, the Jewish people are holy. There is one who wishes to host a guest but cannot afford it, and Rav Pinchas would not let a poor man strain himself on his account. And there is one who can afford it but does not truly want to, and of such a host Shlomo HaMelech warns that he says eat and drink, but his heart is not with you. Rebbi, who both wished to host and had the means, was the rare exception. True hospitality, in Rav Pinchas's eyes, is measured by the host's heart and the guest's care for him.
Source: Gemara Chullin 7b (on Mishlei 23:6–7)
When someone invites you, think about what the invitation costs them. If a friend is stretched, offer to bring part of the meal, or invite them to you instead. And when you are the host, let your heart be in it: meet your guests at the door, use their names, and let them see you are glad they came. A meal given and received with care for the other person becomes, as Rav Pinchas saw it, a meeting of holy people.