Welcome is a theme that runs throughout the whole of the scriptures. Today we have two readings that are examples of that.
    In the first reading from the Book of Genesis, three strangers come to the house of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham goes out of his way to welcome them, offer them water for bathing, and shares his food with them. As they are about to leave, one of the strangers who obviously is a messenger of God, offers Abraham and Sarah a special gift. He says that within the year they will become parents to a Son. It is their dream of a lifetime and it is the gift of their hospitality to the strangers.
    In the gospel we read the familiar story of Martha and Mary, another example of welcoming. Jesus visits his friends and they each welcome him in their individual ways. When Martha complains that Mary is not doing anything, Jesus reminds her that being his disciple is not simply about doing and serving, it is also about listening attentively to the ways God is speaking to us.
    God uses all kinds of people in our lives to speak to us, even strangers we meet along the way. Let us sit at the feet of the Lord , be attentive to His voice, and see what special gifts God has to offer us as well!