Make your house Christ’s hotel; Angels: Day 082

Make your house Christ’s hotel

Abraham, says St. John Chrysostom, didn’t know he was receiving Christ  and the angels—he just welcomed three strangers. But we do know that every time we welcome strangers, we’re welcoming Christ. What’s  our excuse for not welcoming them?

Abraham welcomed the strangers into his own home. His wife acted as a servant—and treated the guests as the masters.

He didn’t know he was receiving Christ. He didn’t know he was receiving angels. If he had known, he would have lavished everything he had on them. But we know that we’re receiving Christ—and yet we don’t even show as much zeal as he did when he thought he was receiving ordinary men!

“But many of them are ungrateful fakes,” you say. Well, so much the greater is your reward when you welcome them for the sake of Christ’s name! If you really do know that they’re fakes, then don’t welcome them into your house. But if you don’t know for sure, how can you accuse them so lightly?

“That’s why I tell them to go to the shelter,” you say. But what kind of excuse do we have when we don’t even receive the ones we know, but slam the door in everyone’s face?

Our house should be Christ’s general guest-house. For our reward we should ask, not money, but that they make our house a welcoming place for Christ. We should run all over the place and drag them in! We should seize our prizes! The benefits we receive are greater than what we give. –St. John Chrysostom, Homily 45 on Acts

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

If I wanted to go out and find an angel in disguise to welcome, where would I go?

CLOSING PRAYER

Let your angels protect everyone who travels, Lord and grant them all a safe journey and a peaceful return.

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