Sunday Reflection (July 14, 2024)

Sunday Reflection upon “Inviting and Hospitality”

God invites us to obey Him and find life despite knowing our past actions (Isaiah 1:16-20).  In the book of Genesis (18:1-15), Father Abraham demonstrated exceptional hospitality to three strangers, one of whom was the Lord. This act of hospitality starkly contrasts the lack of it in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, stress the importance of being hospitable and inviting.  The book of Hebrews tells us that every act of hospitality, no matter how small, carries a divine potential, reinforcing the spiritual significance of being hospitable. No matter who they are, a person in need requires our attention (Hebrews 13:1-3).

Jesus invites us to take his yoke and learn from him (Matthew 11:28-30). We learn from him by taking up the yoke that Christ bears with us. We understand ways of being inviting and hospitable. By practicing hospitality and openness to others, we follow Christ’s teachings and the teaching of the Torah to create a warm and welcoming community where everyone, without exception, feels included, cared for, and loved..