{"id":5775,"date":"2016-10-11T03:30:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-11T08:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/?p=5775"},"modified":"2016-10-01T10:58:06","modified_gmt":"2016-10-01T15:58:06","slug":"make-your-house-christs-hotel-angels-day-082","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/2016\/10\/11\/make-your-house-christs-hotel-angels-day-082\/","title":{"rendered":"Make your house Christ’s hotel; Angels: Day 082"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"angels_john_chrysostom_3\"<\/a>Make your house Christ\u2019s hotel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ab<\/em>r<\/em>aham<\/em>, says St. John Chrysostom, <\/em>d<\/em>id<\/em>n<\/em>\u2019<\/em>t<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>kn<\/em>o<\/em>w he was receiving Christ\u00a0 <\/em>a<\/em>nd\u00a0<\/em>th<\/em>e angels\u2014he just welcomed three strangers. But we do know that every time <\/em>we welcom<\/em>e strangers, we\u2019re welcoming Christ. What\u2019s \u00a0our excuse for not <\/em>welcom<\/em>in<\/em>g <\/em>th<\/em>em?<\/em><\/p>\n

Abraham welcomed the strangers into his own home. His wife acted as a\u00a0servant\u2014and treated the guests as the masters.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know he was receiving Christ. He didn\u2019t know he was receiving angels. If he had known, he would have lavished everything he had on them. But we know <\/em>that we\u2019re receiving Christ\u2014and yet we don\u2019t even show as much zeal as he did when he thought he was receiving ordinary men!<\/p>\n

\u201cBut many of them are ungrateful fakes,\u201d you say. Well, so much the greater is your reward when you welcome them for the sake of Christ\u2019s name! If you really do know that they\u2019re fakes, then don\u2019t welcome them into your house. But if you don\u2019t know for sure, how can you accuse them so lightly?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I tell them to go to the shelter,\u201d you say. But what kind of excuse do we have when we don\u2019t even receive the ones we know, but slam the door in everyone\u2019s face?<\/p>\n

Our house should be Christ\u2019s 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.\u00a0\u2013St. John Chrysostom, Homily 45 on Acts<\/p>\n

IN GOD\u2019S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I wanted to go out and find an angel in disguise to welcome, where would I go?<\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let your angels protect everyone who travels, Lord and grant them all a safe journey and <\/em>a <\/em>peaceful <\/em>r<\/em>etur<\/em>n.<\/em><\/p>\n

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
\nRemember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Mike Aquilina and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.
\n