Saturday, October 25

Hebrews 13 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Reflection:

Joanna Adams tells of a favorite story from the Hasidic Jewish tradition, “A rabbi was asked one day by a student, “How can one tell when the new day has come?”

The rabbi reversed the question, “You tell me how you can know.”

The student guessed, “Is it when the rooster crows to signal a new dawn?”

“No,” the rabbi responded.

“Is it then perhaps when one can discern the silhouette of a tree against the sky?”

“No,” he was told. “The surest way to know when the night is over and when a new day has come is when you can look into the face of a stranger, the one who is so different from you, and recognize him as your brother. See her as your sister. Until that day comes, it will always be night.”

Question for reflection:

Can you think of one experience in which, after so doing, you realized that you had “entertained angels without knowing it?” What was that experience like? If it has, how has your ability to “know you’re entertaining angels” increased?